Self-Care.
It is a buzzword for sure. It means different things to everyone. What do you typically think of first, when you heart the term?
Spa dates?
Nail appointments?
Beauty treatments?
All of those things count for sure. They can be relaxing and soothing and give you space to have time off for yourself.
I facilitate a women's group each Wednesday morning and the theme for May was protecting your energy. The last week, we discussed various ways that we can incorporate self care to protect our energy.
One of the things I offered was how we should look at some of the things we probably already do for self care. Journaling, exercise, gardening. These things are tried and true and work wonderfully.
A few years ago, I started buying memberships to places like museums and movie theaters. My intent was that doing so would give me something to do on the days when the money was low and the budget was tight. I did it mainly for the kids, so I wouldn't have to tell them that money was tight. If the membership was already paid, we had something to do. Then I started doing it for myself. I can be a bit of a hermit, so doing this made sure that I would get up and get out of the house.
Truth is, being social is necessary for me. I'm not supposed to spend too much time alone. I draw strength from interactions with people and building relationships. So having memberships to social places is actually an act of self care for me.
I also paid up my dues to my college alumni association so that I could make sure to attend events and functions.
My point...self care looks different for everyone. It is based on what you need to feel alive, to feel rested, to feel content. It's not all spa dates and beauty treatments (although those are wonderful!) When you are making sure that you take care of yourself and give yourself what you need, you are better tapped in to your discernment, you are more balanced in decision making. It's a way of protecting your energy.
What does self-care look like for you?