'ourself'

'Ourself' is nonstandard when the subject is 'we'. The correct reflexive is 'ourselves'.

Short, example-rich guidance below shows the rule, direct wrong→right pairs, workplace/school/casual rewrites, a fast checklist, and micro grammar notes so you avoid swapping one mistake for another.

Quick answer

If the subject is "we", use "ourselves" (We should take care of ourselves). Avoid "ourself" in professional and academic writing.

We → ourselves. I → myself.
If the object is simple, use "us" (She reminded us).
Check subject number: singular → myself, plural → ourselves.

Core grammar: reflexive pronouns for "we"

Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject. Standard pairs include I → myself, you → yourself, he → himself, we → ourselves, they → themselves.

Use "ourselves" when the subject and the object are the same group: We taught ourselves the new software. Use "us" when a simple object is enough: The manager praised us.

Correct: We should take care of ourselves.
Contrast: I should take care of myself. (singular vs. plural)

Why "ourself" appears and quick fixes

Writers strip forms from singular pairs (myself), type fast, or prefer a shorter-sounding phrase. The fix is procedural: identify the subject, then match singular or plural.

Pause and name the subject: is it "I" or "we"? Then pick the matching reflexive.
Substitute "us" to test: if "We should take care of us" makes sense, you likely need "ourselves" or "us" depending on emphasis.
Do a quick find/replace for "ourself" and change to "ourselves" after checking context.

Example fix: Wrong: We reminded ourself to submit the form. Quick fix → We reminded ourselves to submit the form.

Rewrite help: hands-on fixes (three patterns)

Fix sentences with "ourself" in three practical ways: replace with "ourselves", use "us" when appropriate, or restructure the sentence to avoid the reflexive.

Replace: ourself → ourselves when the action reflects back to the group.
Object swap: use "us" if a simple object is sufficient (She will remind us).
Restructure: remove the reflexive by rephrasing (Practice sessions helped).

Rewrite-1: Original: We should take care of ourself. → We should take care of ourselves.
Rewrite-2: Original: We gave ourself an extra hour. → We gave ourselves an extra hour. Or: We gave an extra hour to the team.
Rewrite-3: Original: Let's give ourself time to adjust. → Let's give ourselves time to adjust. Or: Allow time for adjustment.

Examples: six common wrong→right pairs

These direct replacements work across verbs and positions-copy and swap verbs or nouns to fit your sentence.

Pair-1: Wrong: We should take care of ourself. →
Right: We should take care of ourselves.
Pair-2: Wrong: We found ourself at the center of the debate. →
Right: We found ourselves at the center of the debate.
Pair-3: Wrong: We blamed ourself for the error. →
Right: We blamed ourselves for the error.
Pair-4: Wrong: We kept ourself awake all night. →
Right: We kept ourselves awake all night.
Pair-5: Wrong: We considered ourself lucky. →
Right: We considered ourselves lucky.
Pair-6: Wrong: Let's give ourself time to think. →
Right: Let's give ourselves time to think.

Work: professional rewrites (three realistic examples)

Reflexive slips can distract in emails, retros, and docs. Use these rewrites directly.

Work-1: Wrong: We should take the blame upon ourself for the project's delays. →
Right: We should take the blame upon ourselves for the project's delays.
Work-2: Wrong: Before the presentation, we should take a moment to remind ourself of the key points. →
Right: ...remind ourselves of the key points.
Work-3: Wrong: To improve team morale, we should take it upon ourself to celebrate small wins. →
Right: ...take it upon ourselves to celebrate small wins.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence rather than a single phrase-context makes the right choice clear. If the subject is "we", prefer "ourselves" or restructure.

School: essays, group projects, and study notes (three examples)

Teachers expect standard grammar; these rewrites fit both formal and informal school contexts.

School-1: Wrong: We should take pride in ourself for finishing the assignment. →
Right: We should take pride in ourselves for finishing the assignment.
School-2: Wrong: We should take notes to help ourself study. →
Right: We should take notes to help ourselves study.
School-3: Wrong: When revising, we should take a break to refresh ourself. →
Right: When revising, we should take a break to refresh ourselves.

Casual: texts, posts, and captions (three examples)

Even in casual writing, "ourselves" reads cleaner and avoids reader corrections. A one-second check saves embarrassment.

Casual-1: Wrong: We should take care of ourself after the hike. →
Right: We should take care of ourselves after the hike.
Casual-2: Wrong: When cooking for the party, we should take time to treat ourself. →
Right: ...treat ourselves.
Casual-3: Wrong: If we want to feel better, we should take some time for ourself. →
Right: ...take some time for ourselves.

Memory trick and similar mistakes to watch for

Mnemonic: "We" and "ourselves" both feel plural-match them. Watch for mixed-number errors in a sentence.

We (plural) → match with ourselves (plural).
Avoid mixes like "I told ourselves" or "We praised myself".
Other nonstandard forms to avoid: "theirselves" → themselves; "hisself" → himself.

Similar-1: Wrong: I told ourselves the plan. →
Right: I told myself the plan.
Similar-2: Wrong: They congratulated theirselves. →
Right: They congratulated themselves.

Micro issues: hyphenation, spacing, punctuation

"Ourselves" is one word with no hyphen. Keep normal punctuation and spacing around reflexives.

No hyphen or split: not "our-selves" or "our selves".
Use commas for emphasis correctly: We, ourselves, will handle it.
If you switch to "us", check verb-object agreement: She reminded us to submit (correct).

FAQ

Is "ourself" ever correct?

In standard contemporary English, "ourself" is nonstandard. It appears in some dialects or older texts, but use "ourselves" in most writing.

When should I use "us" instead of "ourselves"?

Use "us" for a simple object (She reminded us). Use "ourselves" for reflexive or emphatic uses (We reminded ourselves).

Will spellcheck catch "ourself"?

Most grammar checkers flag "ourself" and suggest "ourselves", but confirm the suggestion fits the sentence-tools can err in edge cases.

What quick check prevents this error?

Identify the subject: if it's "we", change any "ourself" to "ourselves". If a reflexive isn't needed, try "us" or restructure the sentence.

Other reflexive pitfalls?

Avoid mixing singular and plural reflexives and nonstandard forms like "theirselves" or "hisself". Stick to standard pairs: I/myself, we/ourselves, they/themselves, he/himself, she/herself.

One quick habit to avoid "ourself"

Before sending or submitting, run a quick find for "ourself" and fix each instance using the checklist above. That single pass prevents most slips.