Practicing Self-Care Unapologetically
As women, the act of instilling self-care and balance can seem somewhat far-fetched or difficult to achieve especially as we take into consideration the many routines that preoccupy our free time on a daily basis. Having to handle a million things all at once is by no means a walk in the park and that goes for anyone for that matter.
In the case of motherhood, it can be hard to find time to merely indulge in the peace of your own company when your world activates on caffeine and chaos - you're too busy preparing meals for the week, memorizing the schedules of the others in your household (including your own), scrubbing paint off the walls, resolving familial issues, and in the midst of it all, you're sacrificing your sleep. How long has it been since you've last had a good night's rest? Days? Weeks? Who really knows.
We tend to keep ourselves distracted by the hustle and bustle of our crammed schedules and it is for this reason that we sometimes forget about the little things that matter like our self-care and well-being. Self-care doesn't always mean spa treatments or indulging in the guilty pleasures (though they are still excellent ways to relax and create a peace of mind), but committing to behaviours or activities that can maintain balance for us emotionally, mentally, and physically in the long-run.
Self-care, in a nutshell, is a commitment to sustainable, efficient practices that we find appropriate in promoting our well-being and as a result, can diminish the stresses that come from our daily lives; it means practices that are nourishing, fulfilling, purposeful, and facilitate peace while also instilling balance in mind, body, and soul.
Such practices are unique and dependent on our own individual needs, desires, and interests and can come in various forms - exercising and eating healthy, energizing food can be a form of self-care; taking a walk outside to bask in the sun can be a form of self-care; creating lists as a means of organization can be a form of self-care; writing positive affirmations for yourself can be a form of self-care; sitting down on your favourite comfy chair with a book and cup of tea can be a form of self-care; prioritizing your own sleep (for once) can be a form of self-care.
Eventually, these practices will become second-nature and you will find the right rhythm and structure that works best for you. So long as the practices of your choosing promote a sense of self-awareness and balance in all areas of your life, then you can maintain that personal space and presence you never wished you neglected in the first place.
At the end of the day, we must always keep in mind that self-care is not selfish. We owe it to ourselves to choose the right practices that cater to our needs and help us thrive as women. Finding the time to regularly care for our health in all its forms, even if it's only ten minutes a day, can go a long way in the relationships we build with not only others, but with ourselves.
Because self-care is not a chore, but a commitment and a ritual - a ritual that can ultimately empower us to simply take care of ourselves and others while being key in shifting our sense of being from existing to living.