In a world of contradictories for women, one thing is certain – self-care is not selfish. In fact, committing to self-care is an act of self-love.
As women, it has been role modeled to us for generations to put the needs of others first. If you are a mother, your children come first. If you are married or in a relationship, your partner’s needs come first. When we were children and teen-agers, any act of self-love was frowned upon as being self-centered.
The truth is, if we don’t first take care of ourselves, how can we expect to take care of anyone else? As the saying goes before a plane takes off – put your oxygen mask on first before helping others.
Self-Care is Determined by Your Own Needs
We’re inundated with marketing that tells us how self-care should look, but the truth is, it is different for everyone.
It’s not just about making ourselves feel good with a spa day; it’s also about attending to what each one of us individually needs emotionally, physically and results in an overall healthy balance.
Self-Care Looks Different for Everyone
Self-care could mean determining your mental health would improve if you sought out therapy, cut ties with toxic people in your life; even cutting out lifestyle choices that simply hold no real value.
Loving yourself could mean destressing with a 3 mile run, allowing yourself to sleep in on the weekends or getting up earlier to squeeze in a workout.
It could mean a social media detox and committing to shutting down the phone/tablet/computer one day a week. Maybe it means starting a tradition of home cooked meals on Saturdays with friends for some face to face socialization.
Committing to self-care may look like starting a new hobby, increasing the frequency of travel, or learning a new skill. It could mean switching to a more natural lifestyle – from your diet to feminine care to just how many plants you can successfully keep alive.
The point is it’s OK to put your needs ahead of others and to practice self-love in a way that remains true to who you are.