Self Care: Radical?

(Warning: This post may contain a lot of CAPITAL LETTERS.  And maybe some swearing.  And it's a long one.  With no pictures.  Ok, carry on..)

Hey friends.  Hey.  This is not an "I'm baaaackkkk" post.. no no, I'm not quite ready for full-time blog action again. I'm still very much enjoying hibernation and the wild adventure life has taken me on, and as for the details, I haven't much interest in sharing them.  Yet.

THAT SAID.. I am momentarily poking my nose out of my bear cave to write about self care because I honestly am just BURSTING to say something! While still sparing you my current details, I will say that the last few months have been largely... majorly.. HUGELY about me pretty much stepping out of life as I knew it and making massive efforts to learn how to take better care of myself in this human body and life.  It has been beautiful and hard and emotional and challenging and life-giving and.. and so many things.  Fewf, really.

The thing is.. as I've taken this step back, in many ways I feel like I'm meeting myself properly for the first time.  I'm seeing a beautiful body that I've often ignored, shamed, or flat-out punished.  I'm recognizing a brilliant mind that I've tended to disregard, hide, and talk down to.  And let's be honest.. a goddamn magical personality that I've worked hard to tone down, 'normalize' (whatever that means), and quiet.  I just have to say it-  Fuck That Shit!

See, it's this whole idea of "radical self-care" (a term that I'm hearing tossed around a lot lately).. it gets me thinking.. shouldn't self-care be the norm?? Shouldn't it be, like, priority number one all of the time every day??  Shouldn't it??? The fact that it is 'radical' to take good care of yourself, to honor your body, to prioritize your needs.. well. I honestly just think that SUCKS.

My theory is this: We are all ('all'- obviously a generalization) so overworked and exhausted, we're all working so hard to ignore that quiet but persistent voice at the back of our skulls that wonders if we're really happy or content, if this is really the life that we want, if maybe just maybe there's more... that when one of us takes a minute to recognize our needs, to listen to our body, and to take another look at our quiet hopes and dreams.. when one of us does that, what I'm seeing is that often times, instead of cheering that brave human on and supporting them and taking inspiration from them, what we often do is mock and shame that person!!  Ug!!! Our culture says to us "we are all exhausted/overworked/underpaid/dealing with -insert life drama here-, now quiet down and do your part," and if you're that person who really.. and I mean REALLY.. begins to listen to yourself and begins to hear the needs of your body and mind and spirit and begins to actually attempt to MEET those needs.. well.  If you're that person well good for you except not really because none of the rest of us are getting to do yoga every day or sleep more or move somewhere sunnier and warmer and we don't have TIME for hot baths or reading in bed or walks in the evening but seriously GOOD FOR YOU.

You get the idea :-).  I know I'm being a little over the top, except am I though?  Really?  Because I have both experienced the above hypothetical, and, embarrassingly, done it to others.  The truth is we are not always good at celebrating when someone else gains a little more freedom and healing and insight because we are so longing for those things ourselves but don't know where to find them.  Am I right?  Maybe just a little?

All of this to say.. my point is this:  Self-care is not just for the privileged, the brave, the single folks with no kids and extra time (though it is for all of those folks too).. no friends.. self-care, self-awareness, the ability to hear one's self and one's needs and actually.. carefully.. gently.. begin to meet those needs.. is absolutely positively, I PROMISE you, for us all.  All of us.  You hear me?  You. You are aloud.. encouraged.. I beg you.. to practice *radical* self-care.  Please.

There is SO much more that I want to say about this.. like what does it look like to begin the process of truly caring for yourself, and, you know, here are some examples of things that I need and do in order to honor myself, and here's why the whole world benefits when you put yourself first (now THAT's a hard one to get your heardt (my new word for head + heart) around.. etc.. etc..

Buuutttt I think this post is long enough and here's a wee example of my own self-care in that I feel like my eyes and brain need to take a break from the computer so I'm off to walk around outside in the sunshine for a few.

Sending a million wishes of healing and insight and so so much love to you all...

x
Chris