How do you practice self-care?
Cicero is not wrong here. Sometimes we do what we want and sometimes we do what we have to. I don’t think self-care was a concept in the gladiator days of Rome, though Maximus did ask him if he thought it was hard to do his duty. It’s hard for all of us sometimes.
With that said, self-care for me is as much listening to my body and mind as it is actually doing something. It’s recognizing when I need some “me” time, to take care of myself for a little while. Over the years I’ve gotten much better at understanding myself and the cues that tell me I need a break.
Sometimes it’s an antsy feeling when I think about the laundry that still needs to be folded. When I feel that irritation building as I think about cleaning tasks that still need to be done, I stop for a while. Even just feeling tired and a little emotional is enough to make me pause and do something nice for myself.
The things I do to give myself that reprieve varies according to my mood. Today, for example, is Monday. I’m feeling pretty exhausted now that I’m home from work. No particular reason other than it’s over 100 degrees, my new tattoo was stinging weirdly wrapped in plastic when I stood in the parking lot in the afternoon sun, and I taught the first of four, 3-hour knitting classes to nine kids from ages 10-15. Not a bad day, just busy and I’m tired. So this evening, I may not knit, which is a usual form of self-care for me. I’m probably going to recline on the couch and snuggle Ethan again while we watch t.v.
Knitting or doing something crafty is something else I do because those are hobbies and sometimes I have enough energy to do it. Those activities calm my mind and make me feel at peace.
Honestly, self-care for me is as simple as doing what I want when I want. That, and buying paper plates and plastic cups and silverware because we’re tired of washing dishes all the time. Less time cleaning the kitchen, more time doing anything else.
So, with that, I’ll leave you with Ethan’s version of self-care. Laying under the grapevine in the backyard because it’s ungodly hot outside and we haven’t gone back in fast enough for his liking. Dogs get it. We should too.
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