July 24 is International Self-Care Day. Why this date? It’s because the benefits of self-care can be felt 24/7!
We all need to take time to recharge ourselves through fun, relaxation, art, food, rest, and more. It helps power us through hard times and allows us to support our communities. It can be about self-preservation. Giving permission to take care of yourself also gives other people permission to do the same. With all that is going on in the world right now, self-care has never been more important
Self-care can also mean finding joy and love in caring for our community. It’s not always about finding time for that bubble bath (although it certainly can be that too) but instead is sometimes finding that smile on our friends, families, or neighbours faces.
There is a responsibility with self-care too. One that is not always talked about and sometimes it gets used as an excuse to avoid helping others or to do some hard work on ourselves. Self-care is about recharging our batteries. When communities call us to action, it is important that we listen. Use self-care to have the energy to support one and other. Communal care is part of self-care.
Here are some common ways to take a moment of self-care
- Go for a walk/run/bike ride
- Create art
- Listen to or create music
- Look at memes
- Watching funny videos
- Zone out watching a guilty pleasure movie or tv show
- Make some food
- Share the food with others
- Garden
- Share the food you grow
- Take an online class
- Teach an online class
- Journal
- Take a bath or extra long shower
- Play with your pets
- Volunteer somewhere fun
There are so many ways to self-care. Every one of us will do it in a different way, but remember to adjust your self-care for COVID-19 and social distancing. Taking care during a pandemic is also part of self and community care. What do you do for self-care?
