What Does Self-Care mean, Anyway?
Lately, I have been working on self-care. I often ask myself, what is self-care anyway? It’s a concept that is thrown around the social work field like it’s no one’s business, and with good reason. We all know that when we don't practice self-care, it has can have catastrophic consequences. There are so many excuses that could stop us from taking care of ourselves, “I don’t have time, I have things to do.”
Self-care mean’s that sometimes I say no to a friend, that I spend the day in the vortex (aka my couch), sometimes I do nothing, sometimes I do a whole lot of stuff. Sometimes, I feel best when I just. get.things.done.
It takes a lot of courage to say no sometimes. Peer pressure is real and no, it does not go away after high-school. This is something that my 37-year-old self still struggles with. I don’t think I’m special or alone in my struggles.
I know that this is something that I grabble with every day. What does it really mean? Why do I cringe every time someone in my life says, “You have to practice self-care!”
Taking care of yourself means that you must face some hard realities. It sometimes means that you have to pull a Michael Jackson moment and take a look in the mirror. Sometimes it means looking at all those bad habits, such as not paying bills for 3 months, putting off work for months, avoiding the office, or avoiding your mother’s incessant phone calls. It requires a level of self-inventory that sometimes is scary.
What is the answer? Well, my friends, sadly this is not a black and white issue. It’s much more complicated than that. What do you need to do for yourself? What expectations from yourself or others do you have to let go of? Can you look into the mirror and start to accept yourself for who you truly are, can you start to love all of the parts of you, not just the good stuff? All of it.
Here are some nuggets of information that you can take with you, on your journey into self-care:
1. Prioritize-Even if it means making a list of what needs to be done.
2. Ask for help-Even if it means having a friend hold you accountable.
3. Trust your gut-Even if you heard this before, it still is a free reliable source of wisdom.
4. Have self-compassion-Even when it feels corny or hard. Do it anyways.
5. Buckle up, make a to-do list, and then get things done-Even when there are distractions, or you just don't want too.
A while back I stumbled across this article that discussed the concept of self-care, which spawned an internal dialogue that is very relevant to what I am currently working on. I attached the link below for your viewing pleasure.
https://www.elephantjournal.com/2015/10/self-care-courage-face-yourself-get-sht-done/