I think it’s time to redefine “Self Care”
To me, it’s so much more nuanced than how it sounds – and it’s ultimately not all about the “self” in isolation from community.
Here is my working description I came up with a few years ago, that I use personally and share in my work and courses:
Self-Care is an ongoing dynamic process of meeting your needs,
rooted in genuine loving care and concern for your well-being,
that is in line with your values,
and involves the SKILLS of:
awareness
attention
self-reflection
self-compassion
insight
discernment
courage
ACTION
…and that ACTION might include:
– rest
– solitude
– social connection
– asking for help or support
– laughter, pleasure, joy
– physical activity
– time in nature, with pets
– meditation
– music
– play
– dance
– creating, art
– boundary setting
– fun or stimulating conversation
– having a tough conversation
– crying
– warm hug
– feeling sad, angry
– feeling grief
– effort, discipline
– SERVICE
Reflect on what you might add to your list and what “self-care” means to you; keeping in mind we live in community, are interdependent, and we all require degrees of support — so the term “supported self-care” or “we-care” is often a helpful reframe.
To learn some practices to cultivate the above SKILLS,
here’s a list of self-care resources including my webinar (with lifetime access to replay):
“Self-Care for Health Professionals During Challenging Times”
Sign up HERE to watch, participate and learn, and receive lifetime access to the recording on Embodia Academy.
** Image credit of adorable dog lounging in bathrobe in cozy bed holding bottle of Pellegrino courtesy Roberto Nickson via unsplash **
