Entry #2. Loving Yourself

As a people pleaser, I often find self care to be a challenge. I'm sure some of you can relate to that. It is easy to focus on others to the point that we forget about ourselves. But over the last few months especially, I have learned that in order to truly take care of others, we need to be taking care of and loving ourselves. According to VeryWell Health, “Self-care is the practice of taking care of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your life to promote health and wellness”. (Bottaro, 2023) Every aspect of who we are needs to be taken care of. From our skin to our deepest feelings and emotions, it all deserves time and attention. I’d like to discuss self care in regard to all four aspects mentioned in the definition above.

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Taking care of our physical bodies is essential and probably the simplest form of self care. Some examples of this would be: taking a walk, eating a food we enjoy, taking a bath, stretching, doing skincare, or washing our hair. We are given one body and it is of the utmost importance that we take care of it. Our bodies tell us when they need something and I believe listening to those needs is a skill that comes naturally as a child. As we get older, priorities shift and we can’t always drop everything to eat a snack or go outside and play. I believe as adults we need to relearn how to listen to our bodies and give them what they need, in moderation of course. 

Taking care of one’s mental health is a journey. It is much more challenging to list out practical ways of doing this. It is important to note that self care for one’s mental health looks different for everyone. For some, taking care of their mental health might be listening to music, and for some it might be sitting in silence. For some, a therapist or counselor is needed, and some might find that they’re not always ready to talk about their experiences yet. We never know what someone is going through; therefore we are never in a position to judge someone how someone is dealing with their mental health. I am thankful that our society is talking about mental illness more. Even on platforms such as instagram and TikTok, people are sharing their stories and helping others feel seen. I believe the more we talk about these challenges, the better well be able to face them.

I am going to discuss emotional and spiritual self care side by side, as I feel these often go hand in hand. We’ve talked about self care in regards to our bodies and our minds, now I want to discuss self care when it comes to our hearts. As humans, we are emotional beings. Our feelings are what drive many decisions and relationships, therefore taking care of our feelings is crucial as we live our lives. I would say that the best way to take care of ourselves emotionally, is to let ourselves feel those emotions. While it is important to not always react out of strong emotions, such as anger or grief, we should allow ourselves to feel those. The sooner we feel, the sooner we heal. I believe talking about our emotions is incredibly needed, even though it is immensely challenging to do so at times.

Contrary to how it may feel sometimes, self care is not selfish, it is essential. Taking care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually all play a part in being a happy and healthy individual. In the words of Avina Celeste, “Take the time today to love yourself. You deserve it”. The more that we love ourselves, the more love we will be able to show others.