What the Hell is Self-Care, and Why Do We Have To Do It?
Just when you thought you were doing things right, the trend gods are telling us that it’s a social requirement to participate in ‘Self-care Sunday,’ and there's a new list of things we should be doing in efforts to being better people.
Seriously, what is self-care and why does it feel like I have a self-assigned spotlight on me, that now requires me to participant in additional self-evaluation. Not only that, it’s now necessary to showcase what you’re doing, how you’re doing, and talk about the results. Are you SO, “Zen,” and at mental peace after your cool-mint, cucumber-infused, dirt-scented clay mask? Or are you really googling, “How to remove honey masks that are stuck to eyebrows, without pulling them out?”
Okay let’s get real, self-care is totally a thing, it’s valuable and we really should make it a part of our routine. The truth about it is, you can research thousands of suggestions on what self-care looks like, but realistically it looks different for everyone. Yes, social media is infested with influencers getting all types of skincare routines and luxury massages done. I’m guilty of buying into that, but a simple Google search quickly humbled my expectations and had me realize that that’s not the self-care I can afford.
So what now? Is self-care a practice solely for the rich and famous? Are all of us regular people written off as uncared for, unstable beings because we can’t afford an “Ancient Jade 50K gold wellness session?” Nah, we’re going to be okay, and here are some of the ways I’ve made it happen.
I reimagined the entire “self-care,” concept, to a more feasible, “mindfulness,’ idea. I took some time to reflect on things that I enjoy, areas that I’ve identified as my flaws or weaknesses that I can improve, and practices of prioritizing my mental well-being. What does any of that mean? Let’s break it down further.
I’ve identified that I do not like to be bad at things. It’s taken me some time to realize this because I have an overpowering strength of being fearless. However, what I’ve come to learn is that at times I’ve subconsciously avoided commencing on projects and ideas due to my own insecurity of not instantly succeeding. Also, I quickly become frustrated and disinterested in things I actually want to attain. It’s a completely ridiculous expectation of myself. How are you supposed to be good at anything without working on it?
To counter this, I’ve made it a point to be mindful of this flaw. I received some resonating advice from a friend and fellow perfectionist, “Don’t judge your ability while you’re still irritable and figuring things out. I’ve made it a point to forcefully apply myself for three months and then reevaluate if it’s something I still want to exert energy into.”
That in itself is self-care and it is affordable for your pockets. So go ahead and identify something about yourself, that you’ve neglected to work on, and break it down. Sometimes just investing the time to actually think about it, is all you need to figure out a game-plan to make major changes. Devise your method and stay disciplined with sticking to it. You owe it to yourself, and your achievement will give you all the self-care vibes you ever needed.
