Reclaiming My Self-Care

I’m so sick of hearing people say “don’t forget to practice self-care.” But what does that mean? Am I the only one overwhelmed and confused by how to actually take care of myself? I feel childish, stupid, and incompetent, which is pretty much the opposite goal of self-care. So why is this?

There’s a whole multi-billion dollar industry around companies convincing us that we need to buy their bath bombs, candles, weighted blankets, alarm clocks that mimic the sun rising, supplements, powders, trendy water bottles, 10 step face care routines, essential oils, juice cleanses, etc. It’s overwhelming! All these different products lead to choice overload. We buy and buy and buy, looking for the miracle product that will make us feel good, and when it doesn’t, we feel lied to and disappointed that we spent our hard earned money and time we don’t have on a dud. But then it’s off to another thing to consume, chasing that elusive self-care. It’s a never ending cycle.

A couple of months ago, I experienced a severe mental breakdown. I started on a journey to really heal myself in a more gentle and calm way. The way I was taking care of myself before was not what my nervous system really needed. Eventually, I realized I needed a more quiet, slow paced life. Self-care is simplicity, but ironically hard to find in our consumerist society. I had to take a step back from the constant messages telling me how to care for myself. I decided to reclaim my self-care by changing everything I consumed, including music, scenery, shows, etc. Everything needed to slow down.

I’ve realized that self-care isn’t about what others want me to do or be, it’s about really listening to myself. I’m the only one that really knows what I need. So I stopped listening to other people, quieting the noise from everything going on around me to be able to hear myself. I had to be more selective about what I was letting in to protect myself. It’s not about things, it’s the energy I let surround me.

I used to fill the background of my life with loud pop songs and anxiety invoking shows, leading me to feel overstimulated, stressed, and disconnected from myself. Then I started slowing down. I built a playlist of gentle indie and folk music; songs that breathe instead of shout. I’m more mindful of the shows I watch and how they affect me. Amazingly, I started to feel more relaxed and calm almost instantly. It sounded too easy to be true, but getting to this realization wasn’t easy, and the results were too invaluable to ignore.

Self-care isn’t a product. There is no “magic pill” that’ll make me feel a certain way. It’s about me choosing peace over pressure. I have the power. It’s being intentional about what enters my mind and heart. Now, I measure my self-care not in what I buy, but in what I allow in. It’s empowering. And every quiet song, every pause, every moment I choose calm, well, that’s the kind of luxury that can’t be sold.

#SelfCareJourney
#EmotionalWellness
#HealingEnergy
#InnerPeace
#GentleLiving
#MindfulMoments
#HolisticHealing
#NourishYourSoul
#SlowDownAndBreathe
#PeacefulMind