Self-Care Is Not Selfish

Cover photo credit Cedric Lim at pexels.com

So, I haven’t written anything here for some time.  Those of you who know me personally,  know that I have been dealing with a health problem for a while.  Somehow, I had managed to herniate a disk in my spine, causing nerve pain in my back and along the nerve path.  Oh my goodness, I would not wish that pain on anyone.  That being said, just as that was starting to be bearable, along came this pandemic and the quarantine period which means it has been months since I have done anything resembling my normal, busy life.  Despite this, I am healing and moving forward.  I am, as always, a work in progress.

This whole process has taught me several things.  First, it has shown me how strong I can be when I need to.  Sometimes you need to access all of your strength, the physical, mental and emotional aspects.   Second, it taught me in no uncertain terms that I am not really in control of anything.  Last, I am now well aware of the need for self care on all levels of my being.  So, what exactly does self care mean in these different areas of self? One of my favorite quotes is “Self care is how you take your power back “ by Lalah Delia.  To my mind, that kind of says it all.

To get through the days of pain, I found it very beneficial to meditate.  I have never been very good at meditation.  I have tried diligently and achieved some success but never had to rely on it so much until recently.  I found myself doing guided meditations daily and some weeks, I meditated for 20 minutes twice a day.  I noticed that when I meditated, I was more relaxed and better able to handle things.   I believe that doing this for myself has helped me immensely.  As far as the pandemic and the anxiety associated with that, meditation has been a very valuable self care tool.  I continue to meditate daily.

When I was able, I began to walk.  At first, I was only able to walk very short distances.  I found every day I was able to walk a little further.  I began to feel better and more confident.  I am continuing to walk daily and it has become an integral part of my day.  It is an opportunity to be outside, whether in my neighborhood, or a park, or at the seaside, I enjoy my walks and this type of self care is very important to maintaining physical and emotional health.

Another part of my self care has been reconnecting with my creativity.  While quarantining, it was necessary to find activities to occupy my mind.  I dug out my paints and began to paint rocks – yup rocks.   There is a tree on my lawn and through the days when I was unable to move around much, that was my view.  I have used my painted rocks to decorate that area, and it is quite pretty.   Creating art has always been a very relaxing outlet for me and I have come to depend on arts and crafts as a form of therapy in these trying times.

It is so easy to put off self care.  As a Mom, I have done it for years and I am sure all you Moms know what I mean.  Each and every one of us needs to take care of self.  We all need to nourish the different parts of ourselves that enable us to go out into the world and Shine our Lights brightly.  It is absolutely not selfish to take the time to help ourselves.  The old saying that “you can’t pour from an empty pot” is so very true.  In order to meet all the demands our busy lives put on us, we all need to take the time to recharge.  In order to stay physically, mentally and emotionally at our best, self care is a necessary part of life.  We need to stop feeling guilty for taking time to care for ourselves.  We need to support each other in doing so.

So why don’t you take some time today and do something just for you.  Something that makes you feel good.  Maybe a walk or just being outside in nature – breathe the fresh air and enjoy the sunshine. Perhaps you could meditate, or do yoga, or enjoy a bubble bath.  Whatever it is that will refresh you and recharge you, that is what you need to do today.  Take it one day at a time, or one hour or one minute if you need to.  Don’t allow anyone, or any preconceived notions tell you that you don’t deserve it, or that you are not worthy of taking time for yourself.  If you are so busy that your cannot possibly take time for yourself  – take a long, hard look at your schedule and find the time, however brief, to do something nice for you today!  You will be very glad that you did!

Then – Shine Bright!