“Self care” has become a buzzword that can refer to anything from a few minutes of meditation to a month-long detox to spending time with pets to playing a favorite instrument.
I’m discovering that in order to have that deeper feeling of “I’m actually taking the time to take care of what matters to me,” I need to think of self-care differently than I have in the past.
I think it can be helpful to consider the questions below when thinking of allocating that extra time for ourselves —
- “Have I taken the time to check in and ask myself what truly matters to me?”
- “Am I neglecting any of my needs — how can I tune into my needs right now and address them in this moment instead of putting them off till the end of the day..or week..or month..?
Listening to ourselves matters if we want to give ourselves a form of self-care that is relevant to our own unique needs.
It can start with listening yourself for the tiniest of decisions –
..do you want to wear a particular color in the morning?
.. eat something different for breakfast?
..say no to going to lunch with a friend even though the expectation is that you will go?
..address something you’ve been procrastinating about..?
Self-care that is truly relevant for us also encompasses addressing areas of our lives that need attention but have been put aside because we’re too busy or too distracted to spend the time to address them. This could be anything from sitting down to manage our personal finances, pay attention to our health or spend that time to address those things at home that have been neglected.
Is there any decision little or big where you typically do what’s expected, convenient in that moment or habitual but if you thought about it, isn’t really the best way to honor what you need?
If there is, consider listening to your inner voice in that moment and take the time to make a decision that brings joy, a sense of accomplishment or truly takes care of your well-being.
I think we can sometimes also get stuck in the feeling that we’re being selfish or frivolous if we listen to ourselves in those moments.
If you’ve felt that way, consider thinking of it just a little differently — listening to our own needs is a way of supporting our wellbeing — which is necessary for all the things we need to get done in life, including supporting others.
Have your thoughts on the meaning of self-care to you evolved over time? What do you associate with self care now?
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Such interesting and deep questions. With two small children I consider anything that I can sneak in self-care and I don’t want to think about it too deeply lest I discover how lacking I truly am in that department. But your perspective and questions sound wonderful and wise to me to keep in the back on the mind for the moments I do have! Thank you!
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As long as you’re sneaking it in, that’s what counts :). Thanks for stopping by – have a great weekend!
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Self care? Maybe one day x
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:)..even 5 minutes count
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