As anyone who follows me on social media knows, I believe self care is essential. The reason? I suck at it and have to remain vigilant to ensure I practice it myself. Additionally, I have spent many years researching humanity and neuroscience and discovered that self care is an efficiency tool. And - I - love - efficiency!

When you take on too much and forget about your own needs, you set the timer for your own burn out. Believe me, I know. This can and does have grave consequences to our health so I believe self care is health care!

But, I have also learned that self care doesn’t look the same for everyone. In fact, my version looks very different as I use work as a part of my self care routine. I practice deep work sessions as part of my regular self care routine. As a deep work practitioner, I look forward to short stints of focus without the distraction of the outside world. I accomplish but I also find deep satisfaction in my time spent. It feels like a vacation from the pressures around me and I love the sense of working uninterrupted. It feels like bliss and I’d rather do that than watch Netflix or go for a walk most days. . .strange perhaps but true. This has become a self care practice for me that works. It's not for everyone but that’s the thing about self care; only a ‘self’ can decide what care they need.

For some of us, vices have become a part of our self care routine. That could look like a glass of wine every night (or 2 or 3), binge eating, scrolling social media or losing ourselves in gaming. All perfectly acceptable habits that can fastly become vices when they distract us from the realities of our life and work with negative consequences. 

The definition of a minor vice is a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhealthy habit. 

But how do we define self care? Can it simply be the opposite of a vice and also include some of the same habits just not done to an unhealthy level? I think so and I don’t think we do ourselves any good by criticizing or defining what is healthy for others. In fact, I think our colonial thinking has us defining certain actions as immoral that may not have any business being classified as immoral anymore. 

When we know better, we must do better and science and our growing understanding of the way our species functions means what is healthy for one person may not be healthy for another. The most important thing to remember is to offer grace and understanding to one another so we can support individuals' self care journey.

The small pieces of advice I regularly post help me map my own journey to self care and I share them as a practice to create accountability for myself and to be transparent with others. The more we share with each other, the more acceptance we will have towards this important part of how we care for ourselves and one another. 

What does your self care journey look like and how can I learn from you?

Amber - The Feisty PM