To start out, I want to make a full disclosure: I am very serious about my self-care. I almost died from a stroke when I was 39, so I feel like self-care is survival for me. It’s a necessity, not a luxury.
I do believe everyone should think of their own self-care this way before they end up in a state of dis-ease like I did. But it is seldom thought of this way by anyone—especially women.
We are taught or programmed from a young age to be the caregivers of others and not ourselves, and putting your self-care first is often looked at as selfish. I do feel a shift coming, though. We are beginning to realize that when we care for ourselves at the deepest, most loving levels, we get to share this version of ourselves with everyone else. We get to show up better.
I start by sharing this with you because I practice a lot of self-care most mornings, and I’ve made this a norm in my life. Some people might think maybe it’s a lot. This blog post is not about following my self-care routine exa...