Guiltless Self-Care

Self-care

It has become quite the buzzword in recent times, hasn’t it?

We’re seeing the Instagram posts, the hashtags, the masks, the Instagram posts, the bubble baths, the day off from work or weekend spent sleeping in – did I mention the Instagram posts?

Everyone seems to be in on it in some way or other, but what exactly is self-care?

As human beings, we are multidimensional. This means that we aren’t just made up of our physical body but we have our mental, spiritual, emotional and other aspects too. Self-care clearly then goes beyond taking care of our physical bodies.

It is not just using the face scrub; it is also scrubbing off the layers of self-hate that you convince yourself don’t need to be dealt with.

It is seeking out the treasure that is hidden under the multiple roles you play at work, home and school after taking your mask off.

It is soaking yourself in the word of God and in His presence once you are done with your bubble bath session.

It is being as intentional about how you talk to yourself about yourself, as you are about taking that well-deserved nap you have really been looking forward to.

As a cousin of mine once mentioned, it is also about being honest with yourself about habits that need to be worked on – such as the importance of learning to finish what you start; and learning when to own up in moments were you might have been the one that was wrong.

It is good that we are learning to love and care for ourselves as we are. So light up those candles and read that book in that bubble bath. Get your nails done. Rest when it is needed.

Even better, though, is learning to love and care for ourselves holistically, without leaving out any blemish on our skin or character that we are able to work on, because we are continually able to love ourselves into a transformation.

After becoming a Mom, it took some time for me to stop hiding behind the role to the point of almost neglecting myself. The spiritual side was mostly taken care of but everything else needed a little TLC from me (before anyone else).

Being more intentional about self-care reminds us that we are indeed worthy.

Worthy of love. Worthy of self-love. Worthy of the time taken to take care of ourselves without feeling guilty. Worthy of honouring ourselves and our dreams with a labour of love. Worthy of becoming the best versions of ourselves that we were created to be.

If you already have a consistent self-care routine in place, awesome. If not, I hope this reminds you that it’s okay to invest some more time on YOU, just as you are constantly investing yourself in the well-being of others.

Take care