Self-care is a topic that I feel very passionate about. Self-care is a lifestyle. A way of integrating healthy habits into our daily lives whether it's eating healthier, drinking more water, writing in a journal, you name it. 99.9% of the time, self-care is creating and applying those healthy habits to your life and .01% of the time, self-care might be about bubble baths, lighting good-smelling candles, and getting a mani-pedi, but unfortunately, many people think that most of self-care is just that...bubble baths, candles, and doing your nails. Luckily I'm here to tell you that as fun as it sounds and as relaxing as it sounds, that's not what REAL self-care is.
Yeah, self-care is...taking care of yourself...but it's mostly about taking care of what's going on inside your body, like what you're thinking, how you feel, your mindset, and your feelings. It is an emotional process to start your self-care journey, but it's so worth it, I promise you!
If you're not sure where or even how to start your self-care journey, I will be sharing 3 things people don't really know or understand about the self-care journey. These can be common mistakes, myths, misconceptions, or even self-care hacks that people normally overlook.
#1 - Self-Care is NOT materialistic
When you look at posts about self-care on social media, you'll see things like painting your nails, nice smelling lotions, lighting up a candle, and having a whole bunch of fancy journals and pens or even having an expensive gym membership...self-care is not about what you have, it's about what makes you feel good. Do you like going out for walks? Do you like meditating? Do you have a favorite show? All of these things are part of self-care because it makes you happy, it makes you feel good and the great thing is that you don't have to buy anything. You don't have to purchase a new book just to practice self-care and you don't need to go on a shopping spree to practice self-care.
Some people will say that they'll buy something because it makes them feel good, and that's ok too, but remember you don't HAVE to buy something or have something in order to start your self-care journey and you don't NEED "things" to practice self-care either. Do something that makes you happy, that brings you inner peace because that's what true self-care is.
#2 - It's NEVER too late/ too early to learn self-care
Self-care is not concentrated on a specific group of people, age, or time period in your life. Self-care is something you can practice no matter what stage in your life you're in, but the earlier in time you start, the better. It takes time to practice self-care, it takes time to go through the mental and emotional healing stage during your self-care journey, and it takes time to make self-care practices a daily habit. So start today, start now!
"It is so important to take time for yourself and find clarity. The most important relationship is the one you have with yourself." – Diane Von Furstenberg
#3 - Self-care is NOT always sunshine and rainbows
And lastly, self-care is not always sunshine and rainbows...this one is more personal to me. I say it's not always sunshine and rainbows because...it's true. Self-care is a healing process and when you start self-reflecting and healing mentally and emotionally, it makes you feel different emotions. Sometimes you'll be confused or frustrated with yourself because you're reflecting on old bad habits and sometimes you'll feel great because you've finally overcome the habit you felt that would never go away. Sometimes you'll feel motivated to continue your journey and other times you'll want to go back to your old ways, it's a common thing, a real thing everyone goes through during their self-care journey. I mean we are human after all.
When I went through my self-care journey during my time healing after my car accident, I felt many emotions. I smiled, I cried, I felt like I was progressing, I felt tired, and I felt confused. Why? Because I was self-reflecting. I was self-reflecting and rediscovering myself. Who am I? Who am I really? Am I still a student-athlete? What are my other hobbies? Can I see myself doing this in the future? How does it make me feel? How do I feel today? What am I doing?...these are all the questions I asked myself and yes, some of them were emotional, but it's the process of healing, and while healing you have to acknowledge what's wrong or what's hurt.
Start your self-care journey now!
Self-care is not complicated to start, but it is something that can be challenging to go through because you're doing a lot of self-reflection and acknowledging how you feel mentally and emotionally, but it's worth pushing through! Self-care is created to help you overcome challenges in the long run by developing healthy coping mechanisms, having a positive outlook, and developing other healthy habits. If you need help in starting your self-care journey, take a look at our shop! We have workbooks that help you start your self-care journey, practice daily affirmations, and build self-esteem!
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