“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare.” ~Audre Lorde
To take care of our own needs in order to preserve ourselves so that we can progress in the personal and professional work we are destined to do – is vital.
I’ve always tried to take “relatively” good care of myself. Over the years, as a wife, mother, and a working woman – I must admit that I’ve “dropped the self-care ball” from time to time. I knew that I needed more self-care, but who had the time?
Now that I’m navigating a new path in the journey of my life, I realize that I have to create a plan. My late husband, William, used to alert me of “bags under my eyes”. Although well-intended, I rushed it off. When my clothes felt a little tighter – of course it was not a problem (I felt), gave birth to two sons and I’m already married! Right?
Self-care means taking responsibility for my “whole” self in order to promote well-being and better functioning. Before creating a plan for my self-care,
I had to first understand why self-care was so important. Self-care highlights the whole set for the long-term. In the short-term, on many occasions it was easy for me to neglect self-care and diminish its value. Newsflash! Self-care is not selfish. In fact, I proclaim that it is selfish NOT to incorporate self-care into your life. My self-care was further tested as I experienced the grief process following my husband’s sudden passing. Truth be told, I “held it together” for my sons – William (Brian) and Matthew – whom were also grieving. At that time, it became clear to me that by caring for myself, I am caring for everyone.
If we believe self-care is selfish, we will never choose the path of true self-care and find out how different life can be. Consider the path of true self-care. And find out how different life can be. Consider these preservation points:
-It is our duty to care for ourselves, which will in turn, enable us to care for others.
-We have to make sure sure our needs are met first to be equipped to meet the needs of others.
-Self-care is for the long-term (not an occasional treat) which enables us to be resilient to meet our responsibilities.
-We are really worth caring for.
Wishing you Peace & Joy,
Dr. J
“There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” ~Aldous Huxley
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