September is National Self Care Awareness Month. This illustration and message from Beth Evans of @bethdrawsthings sums that up for me.
There are a lot of different interpretations of what self care is. To some, it’s taking a bubble bath or getting a massage. Some posts urging you to perform self care suggest things like taking a day off or a vacation, having a spa day, or other such activities that involve the luxury of flexible time, disposable income, or both. Obviously not everyone is positioned to be able to choose that kind of self care.
I think it’s better to advocate for taking a “self-kindness” approach — something that’s not out of reach for any of us. Speak to yourself in a nicer tone of voice. Tell yourself you don’t have to feel guilty for saying no to unreasonable demands on your time (or honestly to anything you want to say no to!). Consider your good qualities and work on feeing proud of them. All of us can be a little kinder to ourselves. Making a conscious effort to do so is perhaps the best kind of self care.
