Self-Care is something I not always did. I thought it was time-consuming, expensive, and quite frankly not for me. I thought I was being a good mom by “putting my kids first” and neglected myself quite a bit.
Let’s start by asking what is Self-Care exactly? It is simple really, self-care is essentially taking care of ourselves - including but not limited to giving ourselves grace, forgiving ourselves and doing things we enjoy – just for our enjoyment
In essence, self-care is anything we deliberately do (or refrain from doing) with our own well-being in mind.
With that said, there are still taboos about Self-Care and I want to debunk them in this blog post.
Taboo #1 - Self-Care is an expensive luxury.
Debunked: The truth is, self-care does not have to be expensive. While there might be some activities that might result in spending money - like going to a luxury spa or something of that sort, the truth is we can do simple, inexpensive things. Here are a few examples:
Give yourself a spa manicure
Try a new face-mask
Listen to soft music while you relax for a bit
Practice mindful meditation
Check out this blog post for more ideas.
Taboo #2 - Self-Care is time-consuming
Debunked: You can spend 20 minutes having some “me-time” while you
Drink your cup of coffee
Read a poem
Read the Word of God
Do your face mask
Resting
Take a power-nap
Taboo #3 - Sef-Care is for women only - it is not for guys
Debunked - I recognize self-care is primarily targeted for women but the truth is guys need their self-care time too! They need the time to recharge and fill their cups as well as we do. Now, while they might not want to try a manicure or a face mask, they can do things they like and recharge their batteries like that. Some examples are:
Going on a bike ride
Going on a hike
Getting a nice shave from a barber
There are exceptional essential oils that men can use instead of cologne such as Cedarwood, Northern Lights Black Spruce & Shutran, among others.
Taboo #4 - Self-Care is for women who have no kids
Debunked: Ok, so this was my excuse. I thought that because I was a mom, self-care was not for me. I thought my kids need me and it would be selfish of me to take care of my self and not them. The truth is you can do both. I am convinced that we can be better moms when we take care of ourselves, focus on our needs first so we can then meet our children’s needs as well.