Self-care as a form of self-investment
Over the last few years, ‘self-care’ has become a popular term, appearing on social media feeds, advertisements and YouTube videos of bubble baths and face masks. Yet self-care doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate, it could reside in the everyday like having a morning routine, setting time for rest or eating regular meals. When we look at self-care as a by-product of advertising that targets a specific market, it can seem unattainable, but what if we reframe self-care as a form of self-investment? Here are a few ways on how self-care can be a form of self-investment:
1. Actively resting – In a capitalist society, we are encouraged to work harder and faster, chasing the next role, pay rise or career. However, this lifestyle of seeking the next best thing or being unable to reach the next attainable goal can lead to burn out, leaving us depleted, hopeless and burnt out, wondering where we went wrong. In this vicious cycle, our physical, mental and emotional needs get neglected or pushed aside, and so the pattern repeats. Rest is not only self-care, but compulsory to our wellbeing. It is an act of resistance and rebellion. In sacred pause, we often discover our most authentic selves, but in a world that is moving non-stop, rest is discouraged because it benefits the capitalist system. In resting, we regain the energy we lose in the hamster wheel of life and learn to listen to our intuition. Rest goes beyond sleep. According to Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith, there are seven types of rest we need: Physical, Mental, Social, Creative, Emotional, Spiritual and Sensory. These types of rest are all required on a regular basis for us to function optimally. They can include taking deep breaths during the day, switching our phones off before bed, catching up with a friend, a walk in nature, scheduling a therapy session, meditation or prayer and reading a good book. Rest is what nourishes our minds and bodies, allowing us to build resilience, tackle everyday tasks and fight against decision fatigue. As a result, rest allows us to inhibit our bodies, working from the inside out.
2. Self-care is an ongoing process – Self-care is a daily practice built one step at a time. It can be a promise to ourselves to meet our basic needs such as drinking enough water, eating regular meals, maintaining hygiene practices or going for a fifteen-minute walk in the evening. When we build boundaries with ourselves every day and honour them, we recognise the value of our self-worth, our time and our energy. When we recognise this, we have the choice to decide where we spend our resources which creates a sense of empowerment and we reap the rewards of the effort we put in.
3. Moving beyond surviving to thriving – When we invest in ourselves, we invest in others, strengthening our families and communities. Self-care can be a form of intergenerational healing. Through investing in resources such as therapy, we are breaking cycles of trauma embedded within our family circles and communities by getting to know ourselves. Self-care goes beyond investing into the self, it also touches those we love the most, the next generation, and those who surround us in the day to day. By embracing and sharing our lived experiences, we reclaim our narratives and find those who belonged to the silence of our ancestors. Self-care is ultimately about reclaiming the past, creating and living in the present and investing in the future.
