Self-Care During Sydney World Pride 2023
Self care can help deepen your feeling of pleasure and satisfaction with your beautiful queer self.
Last year I wrote the Self-Care During #PrideMonth2022 article, which focused on some of my favourite ways to endure and enjoy often loud and nervous-system-arousing Pride events.
Pride is dedicated to the uplifting of queer voices, celebration of the queer culture and expression and the support of queer rights.
However, Pride doesn’t always expressively include Black People, People of Colour, Indigenous Peoples, Quite People, Highly Sensitive People, Trans People, People with Various Mental Health States, and more. Many Pride event organisers find it challenging to cater for the true diversity of humanity. Capitalism isn’t helpful either.
However, I am not feeling despaired. I believe we ALL can celebrate our true selves, even without joining a single Pride event, if you choose so. And you can choose so.
For some of us, roaming amongst fellow queers is very important — please get out and be self and as loud or as quiet as it feels right.
For some of us, identifying as queer isn’t possible at the moment.
Some of us are also introverts, nursing mental health, dealing with families, finance, broken hearts — you name it.
I often feel like I am juggling many things, whenever Pride arrives.
If you are feeling something similar, I want to remind you that you are not alone.
As an introvert, empath and a highly sensitive person living with childhood trauma, I know that my nervous system gets aroused a lot quicker than most people around me. While I also want to participate in Sydney World Pride 2023, I want to ensure that I don’t burn out. I want to take a good care of myself in 2023 and beyond. This is Pride, for me — taking care of my divine queer self.
Today I want to share my self care with you, in the hope that it benefits someone who is in need of a little more support.
Some of the below may not work for you. Pick and choose and try on only what feels good. Discard of anything that doesn’t serve you.
Masturbation & Nutella
Similarly to last year, I want to recommend creating and locking in time FOR you, whether that’s learning a ukulele, binging on all the queer films and your favourite foods. It may be a whole month or just a day, maybe an hour. In case you need it, I want to give you a permission slip to do whatever your body and mind are yearning for right now. Let the noise and activism continue while you are indulging in a hot tub masturbating and eating Nutella out of the jar (if that’s your thing).
Low Hanging Fruits Planning
When feeling relaxed (after all the Nutella and masturbation), allocate an hour to sit down and browse all the Sydney World Pride 2023 events BEFORE the season kicks off. Start with what’s most accessible and important to you. For example, I browsed all the FREE events. Maybe location matters the most to you or maybe you want to start with all the Indigenous events, etc. Start with what’s most important to YOU right now (no in the existential way). You may expand your search as you keep browsing or you may feel satisfied with your selection.
Team up with a Safe Friend (or Two)
If you can, team up with your closest friend(s) — see if you want to attend some or all the events together. Sometimes, we can co-regulate with some of our like-minded peers and thus navigate various challenges together. I know I have one friend I often travel with — something I prefer doing in solitude otherwise. My friend feels safe to be on the road with, share a hotel room or roam in the wilderness. I will be attending some of the Pride events with her, knowing I can lean on her in the moments when my energy isrunning low. I can also escape the room leaving my friend if I am triggered and I know I will be understood. Team up with some of your safe friends to celebrate YOU (and maybe them!).
Plan Rest/Down Time Ahead
While still feeling relaxed (after all the Nutella and masturbation again!), plan a day or two off after the Pride, if you can. There are chances that some of the events may trigger, upset or lower your energy — we cannot control our environment. However, knowing that you have some safe down time with yourself, doing what you need, can give you a little confidence boost before the Pride season even starts. I have picked a few weekends to spend alone in nature and help my nervous system regulate and heal.
Do You
Finally, if you feel that Sydney World Pride 2023 is all too much and yet also feeling the pressure to be amongst it all, I want to give you another permission slip to do YOU. If you want to open a bottle of Rose and binge on all the crime show podcasts, THIS is celebration valid enough.
This year, I will be on the #BiSeen Mardi Gras float (wave at me if you are on the Oxford Street!), attend a couple of art exhibtions, two theatre productions and one solo hike. I am also hosting three creative workshops for Sydney youth. My February is packed to the brim, which means that I won’t be having any extra social activites and I have planned and locked in plenty of nature walks and alone time in March.
I’d love to hear from YOU too. What are some of the “quieter” celebrations and self-care tips you are going to implement the Pride 2023? Join the conversation on Instagram.
