Self-Care

Debby Couture
Aug 31, 2018 · 3 min read

It’s difficult to slow down and smell the roses sometimes, especially when you have little children, a full-time job and a laundry list of things to do. The day after I landed in Shanghai, I decided to take a walk after breakfast and explore my surroundings. I looked at a map on my phone, saw there was a pedestrian street close by that lead to what looked like a big park; I wanted to take some time to relax before going back to my room to work so this looked like a perfect way to spend some downtime. I hesitated before going, anxiety growing in my chest, thinking about all the things that could possibly go wrong and why I shouldn’t go on this walk. Mostly, this anxiety stemmed from thinking about all of the work I had to do. Fear had gotten the best of me and the anxiety of doing something new was also paralyzing.

I was tempted to go back to my room but then I knew I would regret not having gone out to explore this city that was thousands of miles from home. I made it out the front door of the hotel, then to the end of the driveway, across the street and soon enough, I was walking toward my destination, taking in all I could, proud that I had decided to take this walk and made time for myself.

I was stunned to see all of the people who were outside, exercising in common areas so early in the morning. A group of women was doing aerobics while another group was practicing Tai-Chi. A man sat on a bench playing a wooden flute while another seemed engrossed in a book. As I got to the park, a man dressed in white from head to toe was practicing martial arts and then a woman was doing yoga, her moves flowing as softly as the music she was listening to.

In a world of schedules, deadlines, and responsibilities, these people were all doing something for themselves. They weren’t rushing to get anywhere, they weren’t hurrying through what they were doing, they were taking care of themselves and they were fully present with what they were doing at that moment.

This made me think about myself and how I spend my time — not my time with the children or at work but a time where I take care of myself. I couldn’t think of anything I do for myself in a consistent way like these people were doing to take care of themselves. I have a laundry list of things I wish I could do but never get to them. Perhaps this is the wake-up call I need to start investing more time in myself.

Easier said than done, I admit, but seeing all of these people that morning certainly gave me pause to start thinking about the things I can start to do for myself.

Debby Couture

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