Sooooo, it’s the holidays, and you know what that means?
We all need to figure out how the hell we’re going to take care of our drooling, forgetful, overwhelmed selves, come the new year. (Oh, you’re not drooling and forgetful? GET OFF MY YARD.)
Which brings up the topic of self-care.
Jesus christ we’re bad at this, aren’t we? We’ve got more awareness around the importance of, you know, taking a minute to sh*t without our phones, and yet, it seems to be harder than ever.
*She sings to the tune of walking down the wedding aisle*:
More stuff to do.
More stuff to do.
More stuff to do.
Enter: the desperate need for self-care, AKA yoga, candles, tampons made of soy and about 300 Tibetan prayers.
But, you know, I don’t think we’ve got the right idea. I think the concept of “self-care” has been trivialized into mud baths and Bridget Jones marathons, when in reality, it’s not just a self-indulgence: It’s self-preservation.
And self-preservation isn’t always glamorous. Actually, most of the time, it’s really, really uncomfortable.
:: It’s doing the thing you least want to do.
:: It’s letting the fuck go.
:: It’s forgetting about the money.
:: It’s stopping what doesn’t work for you—finally.
:: It’s prioritizing joy.
:: It’s letting other people down.
:: It’s coming through for yourself.
:: It’s making a goddamn budget.
:: It’s sticking to your guns.
:: It’s giving up…sometimes.
:: It’s being selfish.
:: It’s acting on your curiosities.
:: It’s being selective.
:: It’s choosing differently…despite the past.
:: It’s doing the things you want without regard for how it will seem, or appear, or be talked about by others.
We’re leading these lives we all want to escape from—that's why self-care has been having such a moment.
But what if self-care was in creating a life you don’t want to run away from?
What if the biggest, most difficult, unpleasant things you could do…are actually the most beautiful?