Self-preservation is something not everybody thinks about, but you really should. Find out the importance of self-preservation, and some easy ways to self-preserve every day.
People will push you, use you, and not care how it makes you suffer. Besides that, your health can go downhill if you let it, your career and finances can fall to pieces, your sanity and peace of mind can leave you, and your relationships can splinter if you let them. In this world where things like that happen, is it any wonder why we need a healthy amount of self-preservation? Join SpiritualBlossom to learn what self-preservation is and if it’s just overthinking things to the point of paranoia. Find out why we should self-preserve, and some easy ways to practice self-preservation every day. Life might be tough, and people might try you- but if your self-preservation game is strong, you will be okay anyhow. Read on to learn how.
What is Self-Preservation?
Self-preservation is the natural instinct we all have to ensure our survival and it includes safeguarding our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. It’s called our survival instincts, and it’s anything we do to make sure we are not harmed. It can include eating good, healthy food, getting proper sleep, having proper shelter, turning down a toxic job, and breaking off a relationship with a frenemy. Understanding that we are not only physical beings but also mental, and emotional ones is very important for self-preservation. Learn how to spot a frenemy here: How a Frenemy is Your Worst Friend
Physically, self-preservation is anything you do to keep your body from harm. That’s why you naturally panic when you think another car is about to hit yours. Your body wants to be safe. It’s also the reason why we want to fight with others when we fear resources are limited. If there is only one promotion available at work and everyone wants it, you might want to immediately compete with other team members instead of working together on projects. You will want to be the favorite of the people who have power, hoping they will take special care of you in case their resources or time is limited.
Mentally, self-preservation will drive you to excel, pushing yourself academically. It will make you want all the details of situations so you can make the best decisions. It will also make you want to make sure people are telling you the truth, so you don’t have to waste time dealing with lies. Mental self-preservation is what drives us to be fully prepared for tests, learn things about new people while we are getting to know them, and block bad thoughts out when you are working on positivity. It makes you want to beat toxic positivity too, and you can learn how here: Accept Feelings and Discard Toxic Positive Beliefs
Self-preservation helps us to take care of our emotional selves too. It means we will shut down arguments with people who drain us. It also means we will shield our psychic and emotional selves from psychic energy vampires. It means we won’t be drawn into relationships with toxic people, and we walk away when we recognize red flags that abusers display. It means we will surround ourselves with family, friends, and lovers who care about our emotional wellbeing, and cut off people who don’t. It also means we won’t overextend ourselves to people who do not reciprocate our feelings.
Isn’t That Paranoia?
Are you paranoid, always thinking the worst if you are concerned about your safety and survival? No, you’re smart. The world might not be specifically out to get you, but things happen every day. It is smart to drive defensively, because anyone could make an unintentional mistake while driving distracted. It is smart to be careful of who you have relationships with, because. Not everybody cares about you, even if they say they do. It is smart to take care of your health, because if you don't, you will get sick. It is smart to be mindful of what jobs you take, because your job decides your financial well-being and a lot of your emotional well-being.
Anyone who tells you that being mindful of your self-preservation is paranoid might be someone who wishes you harm or wants to take advantage of you. If you want to turn down a date with someone because you think they're bad news and someone tells you that you're being unfair, tell them to date the person themselves and leave you out of it. If a job recruiter tells you that you're being too picky when you're looking for a job, go ahead and find another job recruiter, because this one doesn't care what your needs are professionally. If you are in a relationship with someone who constantly hurts your feelings and they tell you that you are being overly sensitive, don't feel bad about ghosting them and stepping away. You matter more than people who don't think you matter. If you’re the one being ghosted, find out what to do about it here: Ghosting – Why it Happens and What to Do About It
Why Self-Preserve?
There are countless reasons why self-preservation is important. First off, self-preservation helps you to be healthy, and besides that, self-preservation is absolutely necessary. People need boundaries and if you don't set them, they won't know what they are or how to respect them. Most of all, self-preservation is necessary because you are worth it. Yes, you are.
To Be Healthy
If you've never suffered from ill health, you might wonder why some people bother to worry about being healthy. It's because they know without good health, you suffer. You won't have enough energy to go out and enjoy the things that you like. Your mental functioning will suffer, and you won't be able to concentrate to perform well on the job. Your relationships will suffer because you will be at home feeling exhausted and sick instead of being out and enjoying life. Your appearance might suffer too, because you won't feel like looking your best. So, self-preserve and take care of your health. Your life depends on it.
Because It’s Necessary
Self-preservation is necessary because things could go wrong at any time. No one else is going to take care of you if you don't take care of yourself. Self-preservation is time consuming, takes you away from some things you would rather be doing, and means that you have to pay close attention when you would rather not bother. Do it anyway. Disasters, last-minute changes, or unexpected unhelpful surprises mean that you have to listen to your inner wisdom when you are doing what you need to. Find out how here: Being Intuitive-Trusting Your Inner Voice
Because People Need Boundaries
People won't know what boundaries are unless you tell them. Sometimes they think they might know a boundary, but if you don't enforce it, they're going to push it. If you practice self-preservation, you will let people know what you're not comfortable with, what doesn't work for you, and what you find downright unacceptable. On the positive side, people will know how to treat you instead. It will make your relationships better and save you a lot of conflicts and headaches. So, set up boundaries and practice self-preservation.
Because You’re Worth It
You deserve to live a happy, healthy, emotionally stable life. If nothing else, this is a good enough reason to practice self-preservation. You deserve just as much love, attention, and care as everybody else. You would probably tell someone else to practice self-preservation, so why not do that for yourself? You deserve all the best, so self-preserve. Find out if you should settle for less than the best here: Is Acceptance of Less Than the Best Bad?
How to Self-Preserve the Easy Way
Self-preservation doesn't have to be difficult. There are ten easy things you can do every day to practice self-preservation. From effective communication, to listening to your gut, and avoiding toxic people, self-preservation should become a part of your daily routine. Read on to learn how to practice self-preservation the easy way.
Communicate Your Needs
Always make sure to actively communicate your needs, feelings, and desires to other people. This way you will actively advocate for yourself, and people will know how you feel. Some people are clueless about subtle hints that other people drop, so be fair and be very upfront about your needs. This is the first step of self-preservation.
Say No
One way to communicate your needs is to say no when the time calls for it. No, you're not going to give your dead-beat cousin money. No, you're not going to give up your vacation time to somebody else. No, you’re not going to take your verbally abusive ex back. No, you will not sit on the Homeowner Association’s Board for another term because it was depleting your mental health. Saying no about the right things means that you say yes to yourself and your self-preservation. Learn the power of saying no here: How to Say No: Reclaim Your Power
Say Yes with Boundaries
After you say no, say yes to the right things. Yes, you will help your dead-beat cousin look for a job. Yes, you will help your coworker put in a request for their vacation. Yes, you will shut out verbally abusive people. Yes, you will stay through the very end of your term at the Homeowner’s Association so they can find someone else. You can also say yes to refusing to help with any of these things if that's what is best for your self-preservation. Say yes to yourself, and you will see your well-being skyrocket.
Do What Makes You Happy
Being happy is key to self-preservation. What makes you happy? Do you love to dance? Go dancing, then. Do you love riding your motorcycle? Go do that, then. Do you love spending time with your family? Spend all the time you can with them, then. Happiness improves your immune system, cardiovascular health, and mental health. It gives you a greater sense of purpose which gives you something to live for, so do what makes you happy. Learn how to be happy, even when things are difficult here: Being Happy, Even in Dark Times
Listen to Your Gut
Never ignore your intuition. That is your psychic voice within you that tells you exactly the way that things are. If you feel like a new person is bad news even without knowing why, avoid them anyways. If your gut tells you to go ahead and move cross country even though it seems crazy, make the move. Your psychic self is your spiritual body that will never lead you in the wrong direction, and that is a very powerful tool for self-preservation.
Tend to Your Health
Taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional health is imperative to self-preservation. Without it, you cannot function, heal, or live a happy life. Do what you need to do to be as healthy as possible, even if some people disapprove. Again, remember that if you don't take care of yourself, nobody else is going to. Learn to heal from past trauma here: Healing Form Past Traumas
Allow No Toxic People
Toxic people don't belong in your life. They are the ones who use you instead of loving you, hurt you instead of supporting you, and stab you in the back instead of being trustworthy. The minute you catch someone being toxic, cut them out of your life. It is the people who are closest to us who can hurt us the most, not the people who would call themselves our enemies. So, why would you let someone who is poisonous into your life where they could hurt you? Don't let them do that. Preserve yourself and get rid of toxic people.
Avoid Danger
Anything that could harm you physically, emotionally, or mentally should be avoided. That includes self-destructive behaviors like bad habits, or neglecting yourself. Half the battle is eliminating dangerous things, and some days, the only thing you can do is to avoid the things that are dangerous. Avoiding danger will help you to see what you need in your life instead of the dangerous things, and it will be a step in the right direction of bringing the things that are supportive, healing, and positive into your life. Your own anger can be more dangerous to you than anything. Learn how to manage your anger here: The Beginners Guide to Managing Anger
Learn Psychic Shielding
Psychic shielding means shielding your mental, emotional, and spiritual body from things that are dangerous. Shielding yourself physically means avoiding things like unhealthy food and drink, refusing to drive dangerously, or neglecting sleep. Psychic shielding can mean stepping away from a toxic conversation, casting a protective psychic shield around your body when someone who is negative is around, or meditating to cleanse any negative energy that you may have absorbed during the day. It can also mean something as simple as attending spiritual services to help you feel close to your higher power. Always shield your psychic body as well as your physical one for self-preservation.
Have a Good Support Network
We can't do everything for ourselves though, and we need a strong support network. Your friends, family, and lovers will help advocate for you, take care of you when you're sick, and live a good healthy life of love with you. So, for self-preservation, bring other people in to help. Your friends can be your number one support network. Read all about the love of friends here: All About the Love of Friends
Self-preservation is anything you do to protect yourself mentally, emotionally, or physically. Some people say it is overthinking things, but it’s necessary. Simple things like not allowing toxic people around, listening to your gut, and practicing psychic shielding are things you can do every day to preserve yourself. You deserve to live the happiest, healthiest life you can, so advocate for yourself by practicing good self-preservation every day.
Would you like more tips on self-preservation during a difficult time? Get a reading with one of our psychics started to learn how today.
About the Author: Lady Saoirse has studied magic and lore for most of her life but started walking her own Magical Path after being spiritually reborn in the desert. Today she is a High Priestess for The Temple of the Goddess, she is a psychic advisor and spiritual counselor, she shares her gifts as a Psychic and Content Writer for Mysticsense and SpiritualBlossom, and she writes for PaganPages.Org emag and Green Egg Magazine.
