My only hesitation when it came to doing this themed self care month was nailing down what I believe self care is. I know how I define it, but everyone perceives the concept differently since we all require such unique care to keep ourselves feeling whole. That’s no surprise since no two people are the same.
To me, self care is a requirement for sanity. It’s consciously making choices that benefit my physical or mental health. It is doing things for myself and myself only that make me feel at peace or like my own cup is getting a refill. Knowing myself, I know that I can’t love on others to the extent that I want to or help other people to be their best when I’m not taking care of myself.
You all, via my Instagram question box, had so many incredible definitions of what self care is to you. Some of my favorites included balance, taking time, and taking action. I was nervous that I would mostly get responses about the pretty and most flowery parts of self care like baths, massages, candles, and journaling—all great things, by the way.
Some of you mentioned how setting boundaries for yourself and sticking to them is a form of self care, which I loved. You talked about intentionally stepping away from things that cause you stress or anxiety and parenting yourself. I loved seeing self care described that way. It pushed all the showy versions of self care aside for a moment and helped me think of self care as not always a feel-good thing in the moment, but something that will better you in the long run. One answer that really stuck out to me said almost just that. “Self care is doing things that may feel temporarily unpleasant, but better me.” YES.
Self care is tough to define, but we all have our own sense of what it is for ourselves. One of you described self care as “tools” that we all use to get ourselves back to our normal selves. That was my favorite definition, by far, because it let me really think through which tools I use to reset myself. I love a hot shower with my favorite candle burning, long car rides with my thoughts and my husband, an evening yoga class, curling up in a snuggly blanket with a hot cup of tea to watch a great show or movie, a walk with my dog, big and vulnerable talks with friends over dinners and coffee, and cleaning my house when it’s all too much. When I check in with myself and see that I need to spend some time on myself, those are the tools I can call on to help me find the girl I am when I’m at my best.
My question for you is this—What tools do you call on, in the name of self care, to help you reset?
This post is part of a monthly series focused on Self Discovery and Self Care. To keep up, follow @behindourreddoor on Instagram and check out the story highlight called “self care.” #SelfCareSeptember #SelfDiscoverySeptember