Over the last few weeks I've seen a few different articles discussing the concept of self-care. It really made me think particularly what it means to me and how I utilize it in my own life. I'll be the first to admit that since having E I don't make self-care a priority. I'm usually focused on other things and believe me when I say it's not a bad thing but neglecting yourself isn't a good thing either. A quote I found defines self-care perfectly:
"Self care is about taking proper care of yourself and treating yourself as kindly as you treat others."
"Self care is about taking proper care of yourself and treating yourself as kindly as you treat others."
I believe that it's important to be the best version of yourself in order to take care of those around you. Too often people think that self-care involves money. That's just not true, it could be something as simple as lighting candles and taking a bubble bath. It could be putting on your favorite pair of cozy pajamas and reading a book. It could even be committing to getting more sleep or deciding to stop doing something you don't enjoy. There are a variety of ways to practice this concept.
One of the things for me is going for a run solo. I do enjoy running with E and I had to do that a lot in Louisiana because of Kyle's job but there were days when I just wanted it to be me. I'm not going to lie I was in a funk for a while. It's not that I wasn't happy with my life, I just wasn't happy with me. I was on edge, emotional, and just cranky. I finally realized that I needed that time to just recharge. Kyle's schedule will be drastically different here and I'm looking forward to the times where I can just zone out and clear my head alone. I want this to be a priority and I want to be the best version of myself that I can be so that I can be better especially for E. I want to show her that taking care of yourself is important. Just because I choose to focus on myself for 30 minutes a day doesn't mean that I am taking anything away from my daughter or my husband.
I've heard a lot of people call self-care a selfish act, it simply is
not. It is a way for a person to take care of themselves in order to
better care for others. Yes, when you have kids it becomes trickier but lean on your significant other, family, and friends if you can. Just as you make your significant
other and children a priority you need to make yourself one as well.
Do you practice self-care? If not, what are some ways you could start?
