SELF CARE

Social media depicts the act of taking care of oneself to be simple and effortless. We were taught that caring for ourselves is simply settling into a luxurious bubble bath after a tiresome week or purchasing a plane ticket to travel to a grandiose destination to help us escape reality. The expectation of feeling emotionally recuperated never seems to be met after completing such activities, and we never truly achieve the level of satisfaction that we aspire for with our lives.

There is no individual that could ever disclose a standardized way to take care of ourselves. To take care of oneself is a choice we must make ourselves. It can be difficult to admit this, especially for the ones who fear that others will not understand the necessity to do so or believe that they do not hold enough resilience to do so. To feel fear in these times of vulnerability does not make you weak, nor does it hold the power to dictate the way that you narrate your life. In times where the external pressures and responsibilities of the world begin to stir such feelings, I hope you know that it is never selfish to take care of yourself. The right people will never think to leave you in these times: instead, they will support you and help alleviate the feelings that attempt to hold you back.

We were raised in a world that continuously asks us to operate at full functioning capacity till a task is complete to prove that we are worthy of our existence. It is a shame that in these times we forget the numerous organs that work every second to keep us alive so that we have the privilege to create and experience memories that will last a lifetime. It is okay to not fulfill every responsibility or to deviate from your daily routine to simply move along the prevailing forces of life. Regardless of how much you achieve, you will always be enough—even when your own mind and the rest of the world tries to tell or make you feel otherwise.

The beginning of taking care of yourself begins with shifting your focus from the external world to your inner feelings and necessities. In doing so, you are given the opportunity to define your subjective way of taking care of yourself. To take the time to process what is occurring in your surroundings will allow you to identify patterns that do and do not resonate with yourself. You are then able to respond to circumstances with self-compassion to make sense of what is occurring within yourself. You are able to shift your perspective and make changes that will help you accept yourself a little better than you had before.

The media attempts to offer helpful advice to achieve wellness, however the all-encompassing path has been discovered to not be fit for all. The only person that will ever know what is best for you is yourself. Turning inwards to your feelings will help you better understand yourself to fulfill what is lacking from within. Those that are hurting, with souls aching and yearning for a break from the hardships of life: I hope you take the time to love and care for the pieces of yourself that you are struggling to accept at this very moment. I hope you are able to channel the faith in your heart to continue discovering parts of yourself that you will grow to love. To take care of yourself is to choose yourself first above all else. Self-growth is rooted from the act of self-care, and it will help bring the clarity that you seek for as you continue the lifelong journey of healing.