Skip to main content

What is Self Care?

What is self care? I’ve been having these conversations a lot lately. The “wellness” industry has us thinking that self care is all about taking baths and doing face masks and having a workout routine. They certainly have a point because I do love a Sunday night bath to set me up for the week. However, I think self care is beyond that as well. These industrialized forms of self care can be band-aid solutions to the bumps we encounter in life where self care should be about truly getting to the centre of what helps you.

To me, self care is recognizing the things you need to do in a day that help you function and roll with the punches. It changes all the time. It changes day to day as well. Yes, taking a bath definitely helps with stress; it’s an important part of my routine as well. But sometimes, self care is spending an entire afternoon reading in the pool because that’s what helps you focus your mind.

I read With or Without You* in one afternoon. It comes out on the 4th so it’s just in time to pre-order! The basic story is a 40 something couple that are questioning whether to embrace their reality or move forward without each other. I loved the story, and I can’t wait to share more with you! The full review will come out later in the month, but it’s exactly the kind of book that is necessary for a good brain focus that can be good for self care.

For other forms of self care, I also like to plan my clothes for the week and put them out for the morning. It makes me seem more organized than I actually am but, for me, it means I don’t have to make a decision when I wake up. It makes mornings stress free. It ensures that I have a good start to my day within the things I can control. That’s self care. Self care is also making a to-do list before you leave work so you know what needs to be done when you get in in the morning. It’s about being able to sit down and get started on the priorities because you’ve already done the thinking for it.  It’s all self care.

In the past, I’ve done counselling as a form of self care and I never shut up about journalling. I recently started meditating again when I realized I needed a bit of time to refocus my mind and stay in the moment. For some people, it’s creating boundaries with people or limiting time on social media. It doesn’t matter what you choose to do. Like I said, it’s about figuring out what helps you function on a day to day basis.

There are so many different ways and different levels to practicing self care. It’s going to be different for everybody and the same things aren’t going to work every day. That’s why it’s a practice!

How do you practice self care?

-Daniella

*This was an ARC sent to me for free by Algonquin Press through Netgalley in exchange for a review.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Recently Read - October 2020

 Is fall not the best reading season? I’m so glad I’ve had a few opportunities to sit on the front porch, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket with a hot drink and my book. Right now, it’s raining outside and all I want to do is cozy up and get back to my book. I’ve read some great non-fiction in the past six weeks. I’m learning so much about how people relate to the world around them. That is so important to me. Check them out! The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism – Naoki Higashida – 4 Stars         This is a very short book that I think everyone should read – particularly those who work with children. Although knowledge has come a long way, there is still so much more to be learned about autism. This book is a series of question that Naoki Higashida answers from his point of view. Interspersed is also a handful of short stories from Higashida’s point of view.         It’s an incredible book. It’s something that really allows readers to understand ho
13 comments
Read more

Very Inspiring Blog Award

Yay yay yay, I got nominated for the Very Inspiring Blog Award from Marlee at Marlee and You ! Now, you can learn even more about me! Pretty exciting isn’t it? The hardest part is gathering all the 15 bloggers to tag. But hey, I got this! Rules: 1.        Link the person who nominated you (CHECK) 2.        List and display the rules (CHECK) 3.        Share seven facts about yourself. 4.        Nominate 15 other blogs and let them know they have been nominated. My Seven Facts: 1.        My favourite meal is breakfast. Although I basically only eat milk and cereal, I love the variety of things you can have. I just made myself a Blueberry Breakfast Quesadilla , and it was amazing! 2.        My all time favourite website is HelloGiggles . I have recently taken on the title of a feminist, and this website has been a great way to see that other women share the same views as me. 3.        I’m not a chick-flick kind of girl. James Bond and Indiana Jones are the best. I
11 comments
Read more

Ask and I Will Tell- Liebster Award

Fun fact: I like Mondays because a) I’m totally rested from the weekend, b) I basically have the whole day to myself, and c) my Monday night shifts at work are the best. Anyway, I got nominated for a Liebster award! Shout out to Emily at Pumpkin Emily Smiles ! I will give bonus points to anyone who can tell me what “liebster” means and why it has relevance to blogging. Anyway, things are different this time around. Here we go: 1.        Thank the blogger who nominated you (CHECK). 2.        Answer the 11 questions given to you. 3.        Nominate 11 other followers with less than 500 followers. 4.        Post 11 questions for the nominees to answer. 5.        Tag your nominees and post a comment on their blog to let them know you nominated them So are we clear? Good? Yeah? Okay, these are the questions I need to answer. 1.        What’s your favourite food? I always feel like this question is so much more complicated than it needs to be. I mean, I have a fav
5 comments
Read more