Self-care

 

One of the best lessons I hope that everyone has learned over this pandemic experience is one of self-care.  I never thought I would miss hearing a stewardess say, “make sure you put your mask on first before you help others.”  It is about refilling your own cup before you can share the drink with others. 

The biggest misconception about self-care is that it is selfish and only about me time.  Self-care began as a medical concept and naturally has evolved.  Audre Lorde has linked it to a way to live though all the different oppression she experienced as a Black lesbian women.  Often her publishers would ask her to remove any writings that reflected love between two women.  In order to get published she did remove particular pieces until she found a publisher that printed her complete work. 

I am grateful that the services field began to embrace self-care some time ago.  Although the self-help push is intended for self-improvement it has rarely been linked to self-care.  The strong connection to self-care is wellness.  The idea is how can you give to others when your cup is empty. 

For me self-care means approaching myself as a whole individual.  My mental health, physical needs, social and emotional needs need to be met for me to prevent illness, and to maintain my health.  If I am not doing well in any of these areas, I know it will be difficult to show up and do my best work.  I also know that it will be difficult to be there  for anyone in general. 

We hear terms like work/life balance, personal care, pampering yourself and as Audre Lorde reminds us, self-preservation.  Again these concepts are not selfish it’s self-care, it’s all about taking care of yourself and adapting regular routines that maintain all aspects of our health so that we can operate at our best selves.    What are some practices you engage in regularly to maintain your self-care?