Making Time for Self-Care

The new year has brought me a number of self-realizations. The first realization is that I need to focus more on self-care not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well. I have been vigilant about taking care of my body by eating healthy, resting when necessary, and seeking medical attention. However, I have not been putting the same effort into addressing my other needs. This has led to me being hard on myself and discontent. One of my goals for the new year is to be gentler, more understanding, and kinder with myself. I am allowing myself more time for art as well as carving out time for yoga. Hopefully this will improve my overall well-being.

The second realization is that I need to communicate my needs more effectively. Over the course of my cancer battle my physical abilities have varied. At the moment my hands are limiting the types of things I can do myself (the chemo is causing them to peel and crack…they are very sore). I find it hard to be dependent on others and get frustrated when I feel my needs are not being met. I do recognize part of the problem is me not stating what I need clearly. I am working on doing this in a kind and constructive manner. Wish me luck!

The third, and last realization, is that it is okay to change as well as let go of the person I used to be. As I have been reflecting and studying myself I realized that I have changed significantly in the past few years. At first I found this very alarming. I fought hard to hold onto who I used to be. By doing so I was causing myself a great deal of stress and anxiety. When it dawned on me that I could let go of my old self and embrace the new version of me, I was filled with a huge sense of relief. I am hoping as the year continues I will be able to learn more about myself as well as give myself room to keep growing.

I feel a bit self-involved or selfish writing this blog post (I, myself, me…). However, self-care seems to be a topic that is appearing more frequently on social media platforms as well as news outlets. I find it a bit unsettling that our lifestyles are set up in a way that we have to consciously focus on self-care. So, I hope you will join me in slowing down and carving out time for yourself this year.

Love yourself first and everything else falls in line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world. ~Lucille Ball