The Importance of Self Care

“Self-care is never a selfish act — it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.” — Parker Palmer, Author and Activist

Self-care. Self-compassion. Self-aid. Mental health maintenance. These words all describe something a majority of us struggle to do. It can feel daunting; it might seem expensive. For some of us, it seems indulgent and unnecessary.

I saw a meme this week that was called “How to Quit Time Shaming.” Even as someone who tries to be really good at self-care, it convicted me a little. Here’s the gist:

We are conditioned to feel guilty for not being productive. But you can disengage from thinking about all the things that you should be doing when you’re doing something that you enjoy. You don’t need to earn your rest; we should reframe “doing nothing” as “recharging our batteries.”

How’s that for shaking up our worldview on productivity? How many of you work at a job where you’re given paid time off but never use it because of the culture set by your employer or company? How many of us feel like we have to maintain some standard of housekeeping set by 1950s stay-at-home Moms (who worked really hard but had more time and fewer distractions)?

One of the wisest things ever said to me by a client was, “There will always be dirty…