Yes, Self-care September is a thing, and in my humble opinion, essential, because we often need a reminder to make time to care for ourselves. It’s too easy to neglect our health and well-being. Most people put other’s needs first, but we can’t do that if we’re running on empty.
Self-care September was founded by Evolve to Live that says:
“From the pressures of modern technology, careers, jobs, families, and not to forget political tensions, many of us have little time, space or resources, to do anything for ourselves.”
What Does Self-care Encompass?
According to Evolve to Live, self-care encompasses:
- paying attention to you, your body and your emotions,
- checking in with yourself in each moment,
- setting healthy boundaries,
- learning and practicing clear and direct communication,
- learning to appreciate and love yourself,
- living your life with joy… guilt free!
That sounds great, but I’m already thinking: I don’t have time for all that!
Self-care in the Real World
On social media, a fellow romance writer complained about their dislike of writing their newsletter. They felt the frequency of their newsletter and the time to write it, along with the myriads of jobs indie-writers must do, was sucking the enjoyment out of it.
All the book marketing gumph (yeah, I know it’s not a word, but I enjoy using it as a collective noun) says writers should contact their emailing list once a month, because that’s the preferred timescale for readers. Well, I say do what you can when you can, and your readers will enjoy it, regardless.
This is also my approach to self-care. Don’t let all the gumph out there add make you feel like you’re not doing enough. Do what’s right for you. A little is better than nothing at all. Life is stressful enough without having to add another item to the to-do list.
My Self-care Routine
Obviously, reading for pleasure is my first choice of self-care. If I don’t read for pleasure for at least five minutes during the day, I’m notably grumpier. Let me tell you, you don’t want me to be grumpy, let alone notably grumpier.
I also try to exercise a few times a week. If you follow me on social media, you’ll know I enjoy swimming, and I’ve been attending a Tai-Chi class once a week for about a year now.
I love Tai-Chi. I’m learning Infinite Tai-Chi, which is described as moving meditation. It’s brilliant because it helps with relaxation and breathing awareness, plus it’s gentle movement for those of us with a dodgy back.
Looking at the list above, I initially would have said I don’t do any self-reflection at all, but I forgot I keep a daily journal. I’m not saying I pour out all my feelings, but sometimes it helps to offload any stress from the day. It’s not eloquent or crammed with my opinions about the meaning of life, so I doubt it will be published after my death.
I won’t stress that this is not a lot of daily-self-care, but it’s what I can manage. I would love to fit in a weekly massage or a facial, but that’s just not going to happen. I’d be lucky to fit in either of those once a year.
How do you feel about self-care and what do you do to help boost your physical and mental well-being?
Until next time, enjoy Self-care September!
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