There are Plants that Bloom all Year Round
But that doesn’t mean I should as well
You know the sweet, slightly clichéd saying that “nothing in nature blooms all year round, so don’t expect yourself to”? Whilst it’s scientifically incorrect, I appreciate it’s meant to encourage self-compassion and understanding of our own limitations.
There are indeed plants that flower all year round. For example, my mother’s favorite flower to buy has always been the Gardenia, a fragrant shrub that produces white flowers all year round. Tropical Hibiscus is another lovely one.
But even the flowers that bloom all the time have periods of reduced growth or flowering. Dormancy is a natural, expected part of the process — and I think humans have their seasons of rest too. The only difference is that we pay very little attention to our natural cycles.
I’m one of those people who doesn’t pay attention to rest and recharge time, even when every inner atom is screaming for it. Often, even when I am in the ‘self-care’ phase, what I am really doing is ‘after-care’. I’m doing it when I’m already so burnt out, instead of having a good quality of life that prevents burnout in the first place.
This is where I am at the moment. I stared at this draft for a long time before I could decide what to write about — but why dress up reality? This is where I’m at. I’m denying my diminished growth and trying to force myself to keep blooming.
Exhaustion, cynicism, reduced productivity — this is what happens when we don’t allow ourselves to rest. And we apply the “damage control” strategy (after-care) thinking that solves it all.
It doesn’t.
How do you balance the importance of self-care with the reality of aftercare in your own life?
