"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare." —Audre Lorde
I don’t exactly remember when I decided that self-care needed to be an important part of my life. What I know for sure is it’s necessary to support and care for myself. But it took me some time to determine what my self-care needed to look like.
In a culture where we are taught to hustle and grind for what we want, it’s easy to become consumed with doing whatever it takes to get things done. In the midst of that mindset, we can lose sight of our own natural rhythm. I had to resist being swallowed up by various roles, relationships, and demands.
I came to a place where I was wrestling with the experiences of everyday life; realizing it spoke to how rarely I gave myself permission to slow down. In caring for myself and remaining conscientious about my well-being, I could carry out my purpose. This work now includes shifting the perception of care as a rare commodity to a sustainable reality.
Audre Lorde also said “If I didn’t define myself for myself, I’d be crunched into other people’s fantasies of me and eaten alive.” It’s really a fight to define who you are, including crafting the tools necessary to recognize our own worth and honor it to the fullest.
Wellness looks different for each person. A day of pampering at the spa can be relaxing and peaceful, while writing and reading may bring the same effect. However, self-care can extend beyond that to letting go of relationships that no longer serve you or simply saying “no”.
Your self-care practice should benefit your larger work – meaning the big picture. Once you give yourself the gift of self-care, then do the work to determine what areas of your life are not how you want them to be. You’ll be able to put more effective effort into your life and truly show up.
You possess more power than you give yourself credit for. You are worthy. You are more than enough.
What does self-care look like for you?