Self-Care in a Selfish World

Self-care is not selfish.

No matter your role, position, or belief system, there is a lot going on in the world today. People are stressed and burnt-out. Anxious and depressed. Confused and concerned. Helpless and hopeless. And contrary to popular belief, self-care is not selfish. It helps you decompress, improves your mood, and helps you to be a better family member, friend, or employee. It doesn’t have to be expensive. There are a lot of self-care activities that are low-cost, free, or use what you already have. Taking care of myself allows me to be present to those I speak with and to model the practice of self-care to others. Instead of putting pressure on my self to follow a structured routine, I prefer to have a menu of self-care options to chose from that flex with my life and my needs. Here is my current self-care menu to give you some ideas:

• Brush my teeth

• Take some deep breaths

• Take a social media break

• Feed myself well

• Stay hydrated

• Take a walk

• Stretch

• Get nails done with my sister

• See a movie with my friend

• Show my children movies I enjoyed as a teenager

• Attend a dance class

• Go to a Farmer’s Market

• Sit outside

• Disconnect from work

• Take a break from the news

• Sit in my massage chair

• Look at the stars

• Watch for turtles in a pond

• Organize and deep clean one space

• Make time for extra skin care

• Put on lotion

• Go to bed early

What will you do to care for yourself today?