The Art of Self Care
Self-care has been minimized to massages and bubble baths in today’s culture, but it’s so much more than that. There are a variety of needs we need as humans to survive, cope and enhance our overall well-being. People ask me all the time how do I know what self-care act to do? And I answer it the same way every time: what do you need right now? It is so important to be in tune with your mind, body and needs.
How are you going to attend to yourself if you don’t even know what you need?
So, start there. What part of you needs extra loving? Is it your mind, body, soul? Are you craving socialization or time alone? Do you need to spend time with family, friends, or yourself? How could you practice mindfulness? It could be playing with a pet or being present in nature. Maybe it’s eating your favorite meal without distractions, really tasting the way all the flavors combine with one another. Sometimes it’s a communal need, getting a sense of fulfillment by giving back to your community.
Don’t get me wrong — sometimes self-care is a massage or bubble bath. My point is that it’s not limited to those things. It can be meditation, prayer, exercise, reading, journaling, or even setting a boundary. My point is that it is so much more. This weekend my self-care was spending time with family, reading, and painting. Next week it might be something different, or the same. But before I figure out what I’m going to do, I have to ask myself the question that will get me there…
What do I need right now?
