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Self Care Is The Real MVP
LaShana Stephens
Relationship Coach "Modern Mommie Mogul" Self Improvement with Style and a Sense of Humor catch more of me on my podcast @Maintaining The Me In Marriage & Motherhood
I started to write this article a couple of weeks ago and I was going to give all these random tips for self-care. When I read it back it was kind of boring and redundant like any list you can get off of google. It was more beauty based and too basic. I felt like I needed to go deeper because self-care is much more than outer appearance. It starts on the inside. It’s how you think.
Typically, when you hear self-care you think about getting your nails done, hair done, facials, regular massages, but that’s all basic. Even spring cleaning your closet and if you’re into it. Feng shui. All of these things are a part of decluttering and somewhat cleansing and it can be helpful for your mind at times but if you’re trying to tap into self-care on a higher level you’re going to have to go deeper.
Now that your closet is clean and your living space is all cleared for the “good energy” flow what do you do? Go buy some new shit! Retail therapy is another mask for the surface self-care experience. Just buying shit. Random shit you don’t need that you’re never going to use and eventually going to give away. So many people waste money and go into debt buying self-care. Me! I was people! Until I learned self-care is actually free!!! It’s available to everyone who wants to tap in!
It's more than just cleaning out your panty drawer to buy more panties. It’s cleaning out things like your cell phone and getting rid of the toxic energy and people that are communicating in and out of your devices! Self-care is becoming SELF aware, checking in with yourself and monitoring your surroundings. When you become more self-aware you recognize how the people in your life are affecting your quality of life and you’re able to make adjustments based on logic and not just emotion. Some people need to be cutoff and others just need a time out. Some people mean no harm, it's just not the season in your life for them.
When you think about the areas of self-care: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social. How well are doing at balancing these areas? Especially if you’re married and/or a mom! You have become a manager of lives outside of your own so it’s easy to get lost in the sauce! Start from wherever you are. Think about these questions.
What are you eating? What time do you wake up? What are you watching? What/who are you listening to? How many hours of sleep are you getting? How much time are you spending on social media? How many days are you exercising? Who are you spending the most time with? How much time are you spending with God? How often do you go out with your friends (WITHOUT the kids)? How much time do you spend nurturing relationships with family and friends? What are you grateful for? What do you do with your free time? Do you like your job? Are you living in your purpose?
When you’re thinking about these areas and asking yourself these kinds of questions you’re giving yourself an opportunity to evaluate how well you’re taking care of yourself and what areas need to be tweaked. Life is constantly changing, kids are getting older, life is getting busier, schedules are always changing, needs are always changing, family expectations are increasing, but how are you adjusting? Are you allowing room for flexibility? Are you taking small breaks from the hustle and bustle? How often? My suggestion is EVERYDAY! Every day you should be
Taking time for yourself to recharge, evaluate, and detox the day! Even if it’s a few minutes in the morning before anyone wakes up and few minutes at night once the house settles down! Make the time for you to think, pray, and release! In a nutshell. Self-care is being committed to personal growth and development! Self-care is YOUR responsibility!
