Self Care- Do you care?
So came to know today, through a post on a social media channel famous for reels… that something called as a Self Care month is happening. Seems like it starts from 24th of June, and goes on until 24th July( i love this date, its the date of my first born, my first day of being a parent). Interesting trivia behind this is that self care should be a 24/7 activity.. if this interests you read here -https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2024/06/24/default-calendar/self-care-month-2024#:~:text=24%20June%20marks%20the%20start,%2F7%20days%20a%20week%E2%80%9D.
Self Care, is not something I knew or understood. Being a natural giver, who often felt drained well if you are one you know this feeling… I learnt the importance of Self Care the hard way. And now I protect it. My time, my energies, my views, my attention, my boundaries, and my very giving nature. Some of it, I have focused back on myself. My therapist taught me to see myself as a third person and then think about me. So I do that often specially on days when the voice of being self critical brims up. A very important book on Gratitude by Louise Hay taught me to simply turnaround the negative messages I tell myself. Yes it took one evening of me realizing I am a good person, I still remember it. I kept repeating it to myself till I started believing it.
I don’t tell that to myself now. I simply tell myself that I am a person. You may not like me, and that’s ok. More than often the feelings are mutual :). I have realized it isn’t my problem if someone doesn’t like me, i mean its ok. Their choice their life, their likes and dislikes. For example I don’t like mushrooms as food. So its ok. Mushroom don’t know that yet I would like to think so. Ok that was my feeble attempt at a joke. I also try to make jokes out of things when I tend to get too serious, i have learnt that, doesn’t come naturally to me.
Enough about me, so what do you do for Self Care, were you aware of such a month and day exists? What’s your routine, and do you tend to go off balance. I do. Then I go and watch Eat, Pray and Love and I go back to finding myself, and protecting my balance. People like me who have many interests and the freedom to explore all, are also cursed by the sheer magnitude of all they can do. We can’t be confined into boxes or cages. I know such people, one is my mother. Well and as I write this just got a call from mumma, saying she is busy today taking care of herself… :) Ain’t I love when she does it, choosing herself over others, including her grandchildren. She learnt, and we all of us now know not to come in the way.
So if you happen to see someone you love- well look into the mirror, who is taking some time for themselves, caring for themselves, the best thing you can do is — not come in the way.
How do i self care — I workout, watch nature, read books, scroll mindlessly through reels, when I find something funny I laugh, i share that laughter, I do wordle with my father, I meditate, I shop books(clothes, silver jewelry and all things i don’t need) , I smell flowers, watch a good movie, enroll in different courses to learn something new- the next on the list is -photography, i travel, i write, sometimes enjoy a glass of with my closest ones and …
…every day I ensure I don’t break my routine. You see Self Care needs commitment, and this one for a life time. I understand it, took me more than one to many episodes of nearly successful self harm — to walk with baby steps on the path of self care.
Sharing some photos of my self care routine… it doesn’t have to be exclusive if its a habit… that’s where you have to reach… you see only if your glass is full, you can water someone/something else…
Self Care — Me — I am a Person.
Share yours, I would love to see. The ending of the movie Inside Out 2 — is a must watch, but for that you will have to first see 1, and then 2 :).
That’s all for now folks! Thank you if you reached the end of this one.
