It seems that every blog post concerning self-care always suggests the same few things: drink a cup of tea, do some yoga, say a couple of affirmations.
This may work for some people. You may seek self-care by sipping green tea and finding your chakra on a yoga mat. That’s great if that works for you. Truly, whatever does the trick.
As for me, however, I hate yoga. It really bores me. In the debate between yoga versus pilates, I will choose pilates every time. Saving you all from the giant rant that ensues whenever a yogi tells me I’m missing out by not assuming the child’s pose position for self-care, I’ll tie my point together: Self-care is different for everyone.
As every person does, I went through a rough patch and decided I needed to hone in on caring for myself mentally. I tried all of the tips and tricks and found that simply some of them just didn't do the trick for me.
Tired of feeling how I was feeling, I decided to ditch whatever mental health efforts I had been told would work. I spent the day doing my makeup, surrounding myself with supportive friends, buying myself flowers, and doing whatever I felt like doing — the only rule was that at least 50 percent of those things had to be around other people.
I'd be nowhere without the friends I have. They are honestly my biggest cheerleaders and understand me better than I think I can understand myself. Sometimes we are so quick to ask Google when in reality Google doesn't know you one bit. Talking to support systems such as friends and family is the best thing to do for yourself when in these situations. When everything in your body is telling you to crawl up in your house and neglect actual self-care, these people know you well enough to offer real self-care strategies they know will work for you.
Love for yourself is necessary, and caring for yourself mentally is beyond important. Forget what you've heard on Pinterest or Google and seek help through loved ones. Remember that self-care is different for everyone and if that means spending all day doing something completely absurd, do it — as long as it is safe and true to what you think you need.
