Most people THINK they know what self-care is, but they’re actually confusing self-care and treats. Once you learn the difference, you can truly start to nurture yourself.
Self-Care is For Rich Women Only!
Do you roll your eyes when you hear the words self-care?
I used to.
After all, isn’t self-care for rich women who indulge in spa treatments, beautiful clothes, and perhaps bonbons?
That’s not me! I’m a “real” Mom. I’m too tired for self-care. Why would I waste time and money on a manicure that’ll get chipped as soon as I start cleaning the house? And when would I find the hour to get the manicure? There’s work to be done and kids to be loved! There’s no time for self-indulgence!
It reached a point where I thought if I heard the word “self-care” one more time….ARGH!!! I would scream.
Listen Here
You should for sure listen to the podcast version this blog post!! I know you’ll do some laughing 🙂 Aren’t podcasts great? It’s such fun to describe things in your own voice.
What do you Think Self-Care Is?
You may have the same beliefs I used to have. I had no idea what true self-care actually meant. Unfortunately, by not understanding what it was, I suffered more than necessary.
Let’s take a quiz!
True or False:
- Question 1: You have an awful day. You come home from work and after making dinner, cleaning up, helping kids with homework, and finally putting the kids to bed, you sit down call your best friend and chat for 15 minutes while you do laundry. Is that self-care?
Answer – heck yes!!! You need friends!
- Question 2: You have an awful day. You come home from work and after making dinner, and all the other things, you sit down at the computer and buy yourself a little treat that you can easily afford, but don’t really need. It puts a smile on your face and you’re so happy as you go off to bed. Is that self-care?
Answer – Nope. It feels like self-care, but it’s not.
What’s the Difference?
One’s a treat; the other is self-care.
The most common mistake (and the one I made, too) is that many people confuse treats for self-care.
What is Self-Care?
The reason why the second scenario isn’t self-care is because true self-care are things you do REGULARLY to take care of yourself so you don’t need to escape from your own life by buying yourself treats and doing other things that may not be good for you in the long-term.
An occasional treat is fine – if you have a bad day and occasionally drink a glass of wine, enjoy a tub of ice cream, or buy yourself something special. But treats do not take the place of self-care.
They can become problematic or addictive when people try to use them in place of REAL self-care.
While it’s fine to do occasionally, can you see how if I did it often it would become a problem?
Perhaps the bigger problem with this treat is that I wouldn’t be getting true self-care. What I really needed was to rest, connect, and recharge.
Instead, I was using a treat to make myself feel better without getting the rest and recharge I actually needed to help my mind and body.
What is REAL Self-Care?
So now we know that treats aren’t real self-care. What is self-care?
True Self-Care is what you do EVERY DAY so you can feel your best and enjoy the life you deserve.
It’s about taking care of yourself and the things that are important to you so you can enjoy your one precious, gorgeous life.
One of my favorite definitions is from an article written by Brianna Wiest. The article has a great title – “This Is What ‘Self-Care’ REALLY Means, Because It’s Not All Salt Baths And Chocolate Cake.”
She writes, “True self-care is not salt baths and chocolate cake, it is making the choice to build a life you don’t need to regularly escape from.”
Isn’t that beautiful?
Self-care is about taking care of yourself so you don’t need to drink the alcohol, buy the things you don’t need, overeat, etc.
Examples of True Self-Care
- Putting your phone away an hour before bed so you sleep better
- Eating healthy and drinking lots of water
- Meditating or praying
- Buying only clothes that you love
- Going out for lunch with just you and your husband
- Decluttering your house so it feels more peaceful
Self-Care is Not Optional
Now that you understand what self-care is, you can see it’s not optional and it’s not about rich manicured ladies.
It’s about taking care of all parts of your life so you feel great most of the time — and that so you recover faster when life throws you curve-balls.
Free Printable
I have a wonderful free printable for you to explore what self-care means for you. This printable will help you apply what you learned in this podcast/blog article so you can better incorporate it into your life.
How to Download
If you’re new to my site (welcome!) and need the password to get your free printable, subscribe below.
For More Information
To learn more about self-care, be sure to listen to the podcast since it has a lot more information for you. Also, you can read the article below to help you better understand self-care.
Wishing you all the best on your self-care journey!
With Love,
Rina
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