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What is Self-Care?


Today is Self-Care Sunday, and I a sit here and think about what that means, I realize that self-care can take many forms and it's different for each person.  

Self-Care for me often means relaxation with no particular agenda in mind, or with very little on my "To Do" list.  But it also means taking a walk out in nature, enjoying the beauty of God's creation - the sights, the smells, the sounds.  It can mean doing meal prep for the week, to better ensure than I will eat healthy, even on busy days.  It can mean catching up on chores I didn't get to during the week, so that they aren't hanging over me as I start the week.  It can mean spending time with my husband or my pets.  It could also mean spending some dedicated time working on things related to my private practice.

In an article by Tami Forman at the www.pathfoward.org website, she explains that "Self-care is not an indulgence.  Self-care is a discipline.  It requires tough-mindedness, a deep and personal understand or your priorities, and a respect for both yourself and the people you choose to spend your life with."
So, why do we always associate self-care with indulgence, laziness, spa treatments and pampering?  I mean, yeah, those things can be self-care, sure.  But those should be the rarities.  

Self-care is about loving yourself all the time.  Doing the things that make you better.  Respecting who you are and what you're about and taking the steps to make that happen.  

So, what I do when I want to analyze and understand something better.....break down the definitions.

Self - "a person's essential being that distinguishes them from others, especially considered as the object of introspection or reflexive action."  "Self" is what makes you uniquely you.  What distinguishes you from others.  So, yeah, why wouldn't you want to do everything you can to care for yourself, to maintain your uniqueness?  The definition also tells us that self is often associated with introspection and reflexive action.  What does that tell you?

Care -" the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of something or someone" and "serious attention or consideration applied to doing something correctly or to avoid damage or risk."  With that definition, we realize that care is something we to do maintain and protect the well-being of something or someone.  It's something we give serious consideration to, in order to avoid damaging something or someone.  

Wow!  That really gives us a whole different perspective on the idea of self care. 
Self-Care = Giving serious consideration to ourselves, in order to avoid damage, and to maintain and protect our health and well-being.

So, with today being Self-Care Sunday, how can you give serious consideration to yourself in order to maintain and protect your well-being.  Drop your ideas in the comments below.  I'd love to hear your self-care ideas and routines.  And I'd love to feature them in a future Self-Care Sunday blog post.

Website:     www.brittaniedmillslmft.com
Instagram:  @brittaniedmillslmft

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