What is self care? Self care has become a bit of a buzz phrase, conjuring up images of bubble baths, hitting the gym or rewarding ourselves with cake. While these can all be part of relaxation, taking care of and treating ourselves, this view of self care can come across as pretty one dimensional and superficial.
At times, self care can feel like another burden or task we “should” be cramming into an already stretched schedule. Not being able to make time for( or maybe even afford) a spa day or to go for a run, to take a 2 week beach holiday, or craft something incredible, can feel like another way to fail. Sometimes even when we push ourselves to forcibly do “fun”, “relaxing” activities that the internet or friends and family tell us we “should” be doing, this supposed self care leaves us feeling more stressed and even more frustrated.
So what does TELL think counts as self care? What qualifies as self care will be unique to each of us and we may need different things at different times and in different situations. Sometimes things we used to enjoy or found helpful might not be the right fit any more and that is okay. The basic premise of self care is not to create another task that might end up feeling like a punishment or a chore. So, self care might look like marking out some time to spend with someone you care about or have fun with. Or, it might be deciding to skip a scheduled event to get an early night and catch up on sleep. You might enjoy getting out in nature and escaping the city for an hour or so. Or…you might feel better taking that time to put on your laundry and clear up your space. Maybe you have a book you haven’t had time to start. Or you want to take a language class. Maybe you want to remove your work accounts from your phone for the day or turn off notifications so you can be really “off” – if your work/life allows you to disconnect in this way.
This all might be obvious. Or, alternatively, it could be incredibly frustrating that we are not promoting 10 easy steps to a stress free self care filled existence. It would be great if it were that prescriptive and simple. But people are unique individuals and what works for one person might not be the right fit for you. The goal here is to take a moment to check in with yourself, see what you are feeling or needing, and have a few ideas up your sleeve for things that you could do to relieve the pressure and that work for you, and embrace them without judgment. But, as we all need inspiration sometimes, let us know in the comments some things that you have done as “self care” and how they worked for you.