I think it's safe to say that most, if not all, of us, have experienced phases or a series of days when we just weren't motivated to do much, speak much, or care much for anything relating to self-care. If you're reading this, I'm sure you, alongside many others, have experienced some imbalance throughout your days to the point where you may have fallen victim to defeat and lost interest in showing up for yourself. You may have forgone eating a nutritious meal, felt depleted in one way or the other and did not consider showing yourself some love, moving your body, cleaning your living space, showering on time, or getting an adequate amount of rest. If you are frequently stressed out and on the run, I am sorry to say, but you may be overlooking the fact that you need to take a breather, pause, and care for the magnificent being that you are. If the previously mentioned applies to you and your current predicament, I encourage you to read this post further. This may be the motivating call you've needed to come across today to help propel you back into self-restoration and care.
I am a big advocate for self-care (as you may already have come to know). Yet, as much as I may be all about that self-care life, I have come to understand (during quarantine especially) that as people living in the world we do, we often overlook the idea of caring for ourselves daily the way we would for children. Chances are when you think of Selfcare; you probably picture numerous amount of activities you'd like to squeeze into your daily schedule. What sucks is that despite these times of uncertainty and worry, people still choose to set time aside to care for their personal needs as a luxury rather than a necessity and essential aspect of their daily routines. The whole notion that self-care is ONLY about expensive retreats, exclusive spa days, mani-pedis, annual deep tissue shiatsu, costly vacations, and high-end cosmetic products is bogus. And could not be further removed from the truth. There is a considerable measure of different kinds of self-care habits that vary all across the board. To care for oneself is intensely personal without definition and looks distinctive for everybody.
What does self-care mean in this context?
In this context, the notion of self-care refers to simple yet personal acts that you, I, or even your grandmother, could implement within our day to day lives for the sake of giving love, consideration, time, thought, and care to our being. Taking care of the basics is a reoccurring theme that dominates the basis of self-care. For example, This may include taking care of one's mental or emotional health and taking the time out of their day to self-reflect and take things slow when the going gets tough. Self-care is vital for our physical, emotional, mental, spiritual health, and overall wellbeing.
Selfcare can be as much as perhaps applying a sharp wing eyeliner, lashes, and a bold red lip to express your inner baddie for some. Getting a weekly massage to ease one's strains and tension, having a smoothie when you wakeup to get your digestive tract going. Enjoying a long, hot bubble bath with Epsom salts before bed, or heck, even pushing yourself to take it a step further with your exercise regimen at the gym and so on. Any act that gives you time with your self, often resulting in something good for the body, mind, and spirit, can be covered under the realm of self-care. Grooming and beautification is a HUGE part of self-care, and this category of self-care can help ignite our confidence and generally gives us a good feeling about ourselves when all is said and done.
The real challenge of self-Care is learning to listen to yourself to figure your needs out and address them.
What one considers as self-care again does vary across the board for different individuals. However, the essence remains the same: to nourish your being, giving it time to revive and experience the sensations that your five senses provide, aiding you back into homeostasis. Taking care of this large machinery falls into our own hands, and finding a balance of different Self-care rituals that fit with the way you feel or want to feel and what your body is telling you means permitting yourself to do whatever you need to do at that moment without feeling selfish. Eating healthy foods, sleeping, and resting well, exercising healthy self-talk, and discipline are necessary for our human machinery to function well. Taking care of yourself will ultimately make you feel more in control. I promise you. And as crazy as it sounds, applying a refreshing eucalyptus face mask could help you recover some balance and so forth. Crazy, I know.
So the next time you contemplate allowing yourself to run yourself into a hole due to stress or you feel like giving up. Breathe deep, pause, and take your time. If you need to, take those extra minutes getting ready, wear that bold red lipstick you wanted to wear but thought you weren't good enough to do so. Sit idle while massaging oil onto your feet, paired with some cozy wool socks, listen to the birds, the trees rustling in the wind, or a lovely podcast, breath, and feel yourself come alive. It would help if you did. After all, you are alive! you deserve it. There's never a wrong or right time. All you have is now. So make the best of it and take care of yourself. Find what works for you and begin cultivating it. Many of our daily complaints would be solved if everyone took some time out of their days to practice self-care to restore balance into play better. But no, instead, we're out here fighting over crumbs and working for a system dedicated to keeping us at the bottom so much so we forget who we are and how precious we are.
Let me know what your thoughts are on the topic. What are some self-care practices and routines you've been incorporating into your lifestyle lately? I'm dying to know. Comment below and make sure to stay posted for future content
Until next time, take care.
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