To get started, I wanted to include here what I thought about self-care 2 years ago. The funny thing is that I didn’t know there was such a thing. So here goes, a little back in time to one of my journal entries:
“I watched a Youtube video today, from someone I follow. She was talking about treating yourself and doing self-care and the difference between the two. I never heard of self-care before. I know I need to give myself some loving care to help me feel better. I had to go dig in a little more about it. I was intrigued, and especially with this question… ‘What’s the difference between treats and self-care?’
Because to me, self-care IS a treat. But here’s what I discovered…I had it wrong.
Self-care are those things that you do or little routines that make you feel good and look good, which you need to take care of yourself, but that we often put off because we’re too busy.
And treats are those occasional, out of the norm things that don’t happen every day but that we love and really enjoy and need, in order to feel joy.
I guess that could be like a once a week thing maybe? Treats are more those things you do once in a while and they are fun and relaxing and needed, but they aren’t those things that sustain my daily mood and health. Taking care of myself involves daily habits and routines that keeps my mood high, my stress low and my peace balanced. Some self care habits I’m thinking of right now that I could do better in: wash my face, put on some lotion, scrub my feet, eat a healthy snack, take a walk, do something creative, read a book, write a journal, listen to a podcast.
Well, that’s a huge list to start with, don’t know where I’ll ever find time for this. I’m so busy and have too much to do as it is. I already don’t get to what I need to get to. And find time to read? Well, I’ll just allow it to float into my mind for now and some day bring it down to earth when I really need it.”
All that to say that I am now celebrating how far I’ve come in just two years, on this self-care journey. Today I’m happy and even proud to say that I’m actually practicing self-care, speaking self-care, drawing self-care, posting self-care, and even teaching self-care.
