Reactive vs radical self care

The difference and why it matters

This morning I crashed hard. I was emotionally and physically exhausted.

I knew I had to recharge before I lashed out at everyone around me. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time I waited until I couldn’t function before thinking about self care.

An alternative to this kind of can’t-function-anymore, reactive self care is to develop a habit of investing in our emotional resilience.

This could be a daily or weekly practice that helps us recharge. The key is consistency whether or not we feel like we need to recharge. Practiced over time, radical self care will increase our capacity to empathize.

But if you find yourself without any reserves, like I did this morning, then take heart. There’s grace to begin where we are. To show ourselves compassion.

It might take time to fully recharge. We might need to say no to some things to make room for recharging. That’s okay. Remember that “being kind to others begins with being kind to ourselves.” Kelsey Crowe and Emily McDowell, There Is No Good Card for This

For me, this means listening to a good book as I walk with my 3-month-old.

How are you recharging today?