“We shouldn’t feel selfish for indulging in self-care.” –Ariana

Check out what Ariana Piacquadio has to say about self-care:

Self-care, I have learned, is about balance. Self-care is about evening either end of the scale with equal attention: obligations and things for the self.

I have gone through a struggle with balance. Between school, work, and various things that would pop up, I felt like I never had any time to do anything I actually enjoyed. There never seemed to be enough time.

It was not until I made a verbal commitment to myself to go to yoga five nights a week and set aside time for writing each day that I began to feel my metaphorical internal scale shift back into balance.

Self-care is commonly seen as indulgent and selfish; however, so many studies and trials have pointed to the evidence that taking time to care for yourself literally makes your entire life better. The things you’re obligated to do suddenly don’t seem so bad. Things that took hours seem to pass by in minutes. All of this time which didn’t exist before suddenly appears. You have time for self-care.

Not until I pointedly practiced self-care every single day did I see this manifest.

For me personally, self- care usually classifies as:

-Yoga

-Writing

-Reading (for pleasure)

-Embroidering

-Meditating

-Cooking a healthy meal

These are how I treat my Nephesh, but anything that you enjoy doing and contributes to your overall health classifies as self-care. Something that took me forever to realize is time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

So we shouldn’t feel selfish for “indulging” in self-care. It’s as necessary as eating during the day and sleeping during the night. I don’t think self-care is a matter of earning everything. I simply think we owe it to ourselves as human beings to enjoy our lives. We have to sit back and smell the flowers sometimes.