Do you know what self-care is?
This Anglo-Saxon word is trendy, but the essence of this trend is simply taking care of yourself, and I love it.
Easy, right? Well, as I imagine you already know, no, it's not that easy. If you're anything like me, you probably feel selfish and incredibly guilty when you dedicate a little time to yourself—instead of working a bit longer, or playing with the kids, or going out to dinner out of obligation.
We're not alone. There's a reason why airplanes tell you that, in case of cabin depressurization, you should put on your own oxygen mask before trying to help others. Perhaps it's human nature to help others before ourselves, but it seems to be necessary.
I admit that finding those moments of self-care has been difficult for me. Not only because I'm a mother of two young children, but also because I've always been a caregiver. When someone at work or in my neighborhood needs help, I'm the one who volunteers. When someone is sick, I ask if I can help in any way. It's a beautiful quality that I value in myself and others, but to be able to help others, you have to be well yourself.
This is where self-care comes in. It's about starting to treat yourself with the same care and affection you give your loved ones. Not out of vanity or selfishness, but for pure survival. If you don't take care of yourself, who will? Who will take care of those who need you?
I'm still far from being an expert at this, but my beginnings are promising, and I think they can help you find personal moments that will positively impact the rest of your day. This is how I practice self-care in my daily life.
In the morning : My idea was to do 15 minutes of yoga every morning, but the reality is that with young children, mornings are early and somewhat chaotic. Instead of yoga, I spend 15 minutes reading the newspaper, sitting down, while enjoying my coffee. Moral of the story: find something that energizes you for the rest of the day.
Exercise: I enjoy running and yoga, and I try to do both a couple of times a week. At first, I always found some excuse not to—the kids are crying, I have to clean the kitchen, I have work to catch up on—but not anymore. Not only am I a better mother, and a better person in general, when I exercise, but the days I exercise the most are the days I have the most energy.
Reading: I love to read, so I read as much as I can during the day. Sometimes it's a chapter of a book, and other times the first few paragraphs of an article, but if I only have 10 minutes, I try to put my phone away and dedicate that time to something I really enjoy. Something that helps me do this is carrying a book with me everywhere.
Nighttime routine: Now that I'm very, very close to 40, washing my face at night is absolutely essential. Every night I try to go to bed early enough to have time to wash my face and neck, and apply hyaluronic acid serum and my favorite argan oil all over my face. It only takes a few minutes, but it's a moment of solitude, of looking at myself in the mirror, feeling my skin, and caring for it with love. I go to bed relaxed and satisfied.
A good movie: Several years ago, I decided to simply ditch television and subscribe to on-demand services. My goal was to stop watching things just because they were on and focus on movies, series, and documentaries that I genuinely wanted to see and that, at the very least, provided me with entertainment. Since making this change, I watch fewer hours of television, and what I do watch, I enjoy and find entertaining.
How do you take care of yourself?
-Olivia