Self-care is a skill. If you’re lucky, your parents teach you everything you need to know. If you’re unlucky or over forty, it’s less innate and requires more education and practice.
I was bad at self-care for a long time. It was the eating disorder and the raging mental illness. My energies were otherwise occupied. Wrinkle-treatments weren’t on my radar. I regret that now.
Some people people with eating disorders look like models. I came from different stock. I aspired to their misery: it looked good from the outside. Even I failed to know better.
Self-care is complicated. It’s more than Noxema before bed. It’s skincare routines, exercise, eating plans, spirituality, charity, social engagement, and education. “Self-care” is a small word that refers to the myriad ways we look after ourselves. It refers to the ending result, mostly. All of it together is self-care.
In my case, things are looking up. We’re far away from the woman of 2017. Self-care these days is a gratitude practice, journaling, daily exercise, daily hypnotherapy, acupuncture, drug therapy, and my mantra that reminds me to live with grace. I’m moderately successful.
And if I still cut a little too much, my favourite bandages are now back on store shelves. I also have a L’Oreal yuzu mask for the repair. Self-care.
What kind of self-care are you rocking?
Trying to find joy in self-care (2017).
https://fromfaminetofeast-eatingdisordersandrecovery.com/2017/12/16/trying-to-find-joy-in-self-care/
From Famine to Feast. 
Is it true that the first cut is the deepest? (Asking for a friend)
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😂😂 Alas, no. Escalation is where the danger lies. But, thanks for the Sheryl Crow earworm 😁
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I was thinking Rod Stewart but you’re probably too young to remember that version.
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I like that present-day mix of self-care.
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Thanks 😊
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Self-care is essential. When I starting getting into my forties my body started rebelling on me and I’m sure it will only get worse. Fun fun! I try to eat a lot healthier and get plenty of physical activity. Last year I started taking a daily probiotic. I highly recommend that!
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The self-care I was taught was the ‘get over it’/’bulldoze it’ type, so that’s what I still do. However, I also like to take some time to myself to ‘recharge.’ That’s my favorite way to self-care, I guess. I walk, I read, i write, etc. Yes, I do mainly think of mental health when self-care is mentioned.
Glad to hear that you are learning new ways!
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I definitely used to want to push through. Love that family tradition of the stiff upper lip. Walking is such wonderful selfcare, I think, especially if you can hit forest or water. Not literally, of course. Walk around the trees 😆
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Love how you are practicing self-care these days. Being tender and kind to ourselves is so underrated!
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Thank you. It is – we are so quick to be harsh. It’s odd. 😊
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Thank you for your beautiful honesty. It really feels like it should be innate, the act of caring for ourselves, but I know for myself, personally, I’ve spent more of my days here on earth harming myself instead. Making new choices is empowering, and I’m so grateful that “too late” doesn’t apply here, for me or for you ❤️ But such honest, heartfelt sharing like this just may be the key to helping a new generation learn from the start that self care isn’t selfish, and it’s where self love truly lives. Thank you!
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This was a wonderful thing to wake up to: thank you so much, for reading and for such a lovely comment. 💖
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Have a beautiful day!
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Thank you for your honesty ❤️
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