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Self-care is becoming almost a shaming topic online, as we’re constantly challenged to look at whether we’re doing enough.
A recent trip reminded me of how freeing it is to be away from home and the day-to-day chores and routines that keep life in motion. Making and keeping appointments—even if they’re for self-nurturing activities like a facial or massage—adds a mental and emotional load to the day, not to mention time pressure.
Being back in Florida for my conference, I reveled in the opportunity to wake up early and be outside for the sunrise. Growing up on the Jersey shore, my favorite time on the beach was when it was cold, in the winter. It was just me, my friends, and nature—the sand, the ocean, and the sky. (A bonus was that there were no bugs in the winter). For me, if it’s sunny, it doesn’t matter if it’s cold. Cool, crisp days make me feel alive.
What is self-caring for you? That’s what matters, not what anyone else says you should do or want to do. Where is your place to go, where you can fill yourself up and feel whole again? By the water? In the woods? Driving a long distance? Taking a long bus ride or train ride? What charges and recharges you?
Even if you can’t leave your home or workplace, you can take a break to practice some micro self-care. Sometimes just looking out a window up at the sky will remind you of how much more there is beyond you and your desk.
One business coach recommends giving ourselves “stare time”: time away from screens and other distractions. Or pick up a book—fiction can be a wonderful escape, filling our minds with stories and taking us away from our lives. You’ll come back with an entirely new perspective. It’s similar to when you travel, except you don’t have to leave!
Practice acceptance that there will always be chaos: something to do, somewhere to go. We take care of so many people; it’s up to us to purposefully take time to care for ourselves. Keep a list of things you can do, right where you are, to seek solitude for even a few quiet moments of looking inward for reflection and contemplation. That time to just be.
Whatever you’re working on in your life, work, or health, it’s about coming up with creative solutions for self-care. Another good place to start is by getting clear on your personal or professional visions. If you can plan your self-caring activities to support those visions, they’ll mean more and you may even be more willing to do them.