I saw a meme the other day that said something to the effect of “often our self care is after care”. This statement stopped me in my tracks. OMG Yes…that is it! So to provide some translation for this statement, the things we often label as self care are the things we have to do to actually recuperate from the day to day grind of our lives within the current systems and frameworks in which we live. So instead of placing boundaries on the things that grind away at our physical, mental, emotional, and yes spiritual health, we say yes in the moment and attempt to recover afterwards. This folx, I am learning, is not self care. But boy have we perfected this cycle, or at least I have. (I know I am not the only one)
The meaning of self care that I am proposing is a radical and revolutionary act! Let’s be honest folx, our current systems of success and productivity based outcomes are oppressive. Exhaustion is often seen as a status symbol, and this “just work harder, do more, be more” attitude is suffocating every aspect of our lives. I am proposing right here and right now, let’s jump ship. These old paradigms we have been fed don’t work…they never did. Instead let’s embrace radical self care. Let’s move from the buzz words of success and productivity and trade them for meaning and fulfillment. A life of meaning looks different for everyone, but I believe the one common denominator is the value and presence of self care. Saying yes when you want to, saying no when you need to. Just writing those words I can feel the expansiveness in my lungs. When we dare to begin to cultivate this type of self care, not only in our individual lives but our collective experience, we recognize that we don’t lose anything, but instead the feeling of alignment fills us with more than we could possibly imagine.