How to Take Care of Yourself in Hard Times (Without Feeling Selfish)

In difficult moments, it can feel almost inappropriate to focus on yourself.

When Taking Care of Yourself Feels Wrong

You might catch yourself thinking:
I have it better than a lot of people.
Now is not the time to want more.
I should just be grateful and keep going.

Those thoughts often come from a good place. From care. From awareness. From empathy.

And still, I want to offer a different perspective.

When life feels uncertain or deeply painful, taking excellent care of yourself is not selfish. It is an act of responsibility.

Because the way you show up for yourself matters.

Taking care of yourself does not mean pretending everything is fine. Nor does it mean forcing optimism or productivity. And it certainly does not mean judging yourself for how you are coping.

Notice How You Cope with Hard Moments

It means becoming curious about how you respond to what you take in.

Are you shutting down?
Numbing out?
Scrolling more than you want to?
Feeling irritable or on edge?
Pulling away from people you love?
Feeling despair?
Feeling called to action but unsure where to start?

There is no right or wrong answer here.

Self-Understanding Creates Real Choice

But understanding your patterns gives you something powerful. Choice.

Without that understanding, it is easy to feel like everything is out of control and you are forced to come along for the ride.

With it, something steadier becomes available.

The world may feel out of control, and you can still meet it with intention.

You can choose what you consume.
You can choose how you respond, even when you cannot change the circumstances.

Most of us were never taught this.

We were taught how to perform, adapt, push through, and manage.

We were not taught how to be with ourselves when things feel hard. How to slow down and understand what is actually happening inside us.

Why Self-Coaching Is a Life Skill, Not a Luxury

This is why learning how to coach yourself is so transformative. And deeply compassionate work.

Not so you can fix yourself.
Not so you can become unshakeable or unaffected.

But so you can move through life with more awareness, compassion, and steadiness.

So you know when to rest.
When to take action.
When to step back.
When to unapologetically claim what you want.

These are not “nice to have” skills. They are your life skills.

The world has always been difficult and heartbreaking and beautiful. And it always will be.

What changes everything is whether you know how to take care of yourself inside those moments, so you can stay present, deeply attuned, and aligned with who you want to be.

Building Inner Resilience with the Golden Life Coaching Certification™

This is the foundation of the work I teach inside the Golden Life Coaching Certification™.

If you feel called to build this kind of inner resilience and self-leadership, I would love to support you.

Inside the Golden Life Coaching Certification™

Inside GOLDEN, we begin with the foundations of coaching yourself, so you can understand what’s happening inside you in real time and respond with more steadiness and choice.

Some women join because they want these skills for their own life and leadership. Others join because they want to become coaches or leaders who can support others with real integrity. Both are welcome here.

Either way, you will learn a heart-led method for working with your thoughts, emotions, and patterns, plus live guided practice and compassionate support so it actually sticks.

Enrollment is open now, and we begin on March 3rd. If you want to learn how to coach yourself through the inevitable hard moments without shutting down, spinning out, or leaving yourself behind, this is where we start.

Click here to learn more. And if you want a quick 1:1 conversation to talk it through and get your questions answered, you can schedule that from the same page.

With immense appreciation & gratitude. Always.