Everyone makes New Year’s resolutions, but only a few people actually follow through with them. There are the typical goals of losing weight, eating healthier, exercising more, and trying something new, but few people actually work toward fixing one of the most important aspects of life, which is taking care of themselves.
Self-care is often falsely associated with taking a relaxing bubble bath, participating in something one enjoys doing, or getting a good night of sleep. Self-care is different for everyone and can include some of these activities, but is truly much more than that.
It is not all rainbows and unicorns- it is about facing the demons eating inside of you. It is confronting what makes you unhappy and actually doing something about it to fix it. It is doing what is morally right.
Self-care is facing the difficult obstacles in life and learning how to overcome them rather than fearing and running away from them. It is facing your flaws and the things you really do not want to recognize, and learning to acknowledge and accept them for what they are. Whether it be making a detailed plan on how to reach a goal, understanding why you failed at something in the past to figure out how to fix the problem and avoid that disappointment in the future, or sacrificing your own wants and desires to do something that you believe is right, self-care comes in many different forms.
It is learning to love yourself for who you are, and understanding that you are a wonderful individual who should put yourself first and turn your needs into actions. It is accepting yourself and not letting anyone or anything negatively change you. It is taking the time out of your busy day to be mindful of both yourself and your surroundings, taking control of them, and making any changes necessary to live a more happy and successful life.
Every single person is a special and important human being, and deserves to take care of themselves and be happy. Create the time to make sure self-care is a priority for yourself this new year, and everything else in life will fall into place.