When I log on to Twitter, I see one variant or the other of jokes that call random things ‘self-care’. I have posted a few on more than one occasion, too! The thing is, there is some amount of truth to these ‘jokes‘ about self-care. You see, self-care isn’t something that comes with a user manual. It works differently for everybody; no rule is set in stone to determine what exactly counts as self-care.
Some nights are simply reserved for cookie dough and chick flicks. Call it self-care, call it guilty pleasure, IDC.🤷🏻♀️
— Shubhangi Srinivasan (@_The_Shubhster_) September 14, 2019
I cannot claim to understand just how bad your day is going because let’s be fair, I am not the one in your shoes. Even if I have walked a mile or two in your shoes at some point in my life, I cannot really say things like ‘I get it‘ when it comes to your coping mechanisms and self-care.
Maybe your idea of self-care is a secret getaway or going off the grid for a while. Maybe you want to sit with a tub of ice cream sometimes, but there are times when you want to work out until you’re wiped. The point is, nobody but you can understand your approach to healing because it doesn’t really always work the same way for everybody.
But here are a few random things that totally count as self-care, even if nobody else thinks so:
1. Going off social media.
Let’s be real. Social media is so exhausting these days. Everyone is either partying or travelling or sipping margaritas and coconut water at the beach, or at least that is how they choose to portray their lives online. It’s no surprise that consciously or subconsciously, we all aspire to live like that, and whether realize it or not, it’s not a stretch to feel like our lives aren’t happening enough. Unfollowing all of these accounts from our social media is a little unrealistic. So when people want to log off of social media for a few days because they want to do a little bit of mental healing, it’s totally acceptable.
2. Sleeping in.
I don’t need to say anything else here because everybody seems to relate to this on a spiritual level these days. Even when there is no work to do, we seem to worry about what to do with our lives because there is so much unnecessary competition from society. In such cases, our brain needs to recharge before we can jump back into all that craziness again. So, if you ever feel like you don’t want to deal with the day (if there isn’t anything important to deal with), tuck yourself into some weighted blankets and get some shut-eye.
3. Having a cheat day.
Living by rules can get a little too stressful at times. You need to listen to what your body is trying to tell you. Don’t starve yourself if what you’re craving is a pizza. Even if you’re watching your weight or skin, don’t beat yourself up for slipping up that one time. You can get back to burning calories tomorrow. Live for today if you want to do something for yourself for once.
Despite what I just said, these aren’t the only things that you are allowed to do if you want to practice self-care. There are maybe a hundred different coping mechanisms that the world really doesn’t approve of, ranging from healthy to extremely unhealthy. But to each their own!
Get started on the self-care journey already, people! I haven’t been preaching this for nothing, for the past 3 weeks.
Cheerio! Xx
Hey guys! I hope you liked this post. Let me know in the comments below or share with someone you might wanna show this to! You can also reach out to me and say ‘Hi’ on Twitter and Instagram. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.
Yours truly,
The Shubhster.
Featured Image by Rae Goldman on Unsplash
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