So many people talk about “self care” these days, especially when one is suffering from a mental illness, as well as things like stress and fatigue. But there’s something that many people don’t realise: Self care might not be what you think it is.
The question I am going to ask is, how do you view self care? Is it purely taking time out to be alone, to take a breath and relax? Treating yourself to coffee on the way to or from work? A long bubble bath at the end of a big day? A massage? An extra piece of cake – because you deserve it?
I have a simple answer for you. No. That is not self care. That is what I call “self love”. Self love is not a bad thing at all; it is in fact important, as long as it is not over-indulged. (But that’s for another post, on another day.)
Let’s talk more now about what “self care” really is…