Another weekend and another engagement topic. I felt strongly pulled towards the topic of self-care, something that I have learned is vital for a happy life for myself and the people that have to deal with me. We have had a stressful two years that have passed and really learned then that you have to take care of yourself very well.
Some love from little lambs always helps to make anyone feel good!
What does self-care mean to me?
Of course this is different for everyone, what works for you as self-care may not work for me and vice versa. There are a few things that I have noticed that really work for me:
Time alone
I love having people around me, but in order to recharge and get my thoughts in order I need some time alone. Time to unwind, do what I like to do, eat the food that I love to eat and take good care of my body and my mind. Especially living together with my partner you sometimes just need that time apart and just spend some time with yourself. You can spend time alone at home watching a movie your partner would hate and you love, but I also really enjoy going out by myself. For example a nice long walk, a visit to town or even a trip to the cinema by myself.
This is me on a solo hike in Wales.Treat myself
Now if you know me you know that I am Dutch and also I am pretty cheap haha, I love saving money. But in self care it is good to indulge sometimes! Every now and then I love to splurge on a lovely meal or a Lego set that I really want. I take care that I only buy things that I really want, but man do you get to enjoy it when you give yourself a present like that!
The other day I gifted myself some lovely new plants for in the garden.Put other things on the back burner
A very important part of self-care for me is to realize that other things are not that important. I am a teacher and can get pretty absorbed in my work, but sometimes it is great to realize that work is just work and I am important too. I can also really enjoy cancelling a party or event and just crawl on the couch with a blanket to enjoy some self-care time. Sometimes it can also be taking care of yourself to make sure that you have time to meet all your friends. Sometimes when work gets super hectic I make sure to lighten the workload and instead go and do something fun with friends.
Cheers!
So for me self-care is critical, I would not be a happy and balanced person if I did not take care of myself and recharged. So self-care in my opinion is not selfish at all, everybody gets a better version of me if I take good care of myself! What is your opinion?