To be honest with you, I started writing a different post earlier today, and about halfway through realized I wasn't feeling it as much as I should, so I stopped progress and filed it away for another day. I've been feeling a little under the weather and overwhelmed at work, so I've been taking the steps that work best for me. That's the whole point of self-care.

Writing, working, and life at home can all take a toll. Often we get used to our stress and become accustomed to operating at such a hectic level that we stop realizing the amount of strain to which we have adjusted. Our bodies may try to send us signals, such as headaches or sleeplessness, but often taking the time to step away is either impossible or inconvenient, so we have little adaptations to keep us going, such as a little bottle of pain medicine in our desks or an endless supply of caffeine. Some people also will embrace the stress and start to wear their busy-ness like a badge of honor. Some even see it as a sign of their importance and worth.

Most of the time in self-care posts bloggers will speak of the magic of massages, nail salons, gym memberships with yoga classes, or fancy spas, and I agree all of those can be great if you can afford them. I've tried them at various points and enjoyed them all. Just this past week I jumped on the FabFitFun bandwagon, and I can't tell you how much joy I got from coming home to a box of goodies. Also, people will often praise the power of a good nap, a cup of coffee, long shower, bubble bath, library book, walk outside, movie night at home, or just quiet reflection, which all also count as self-care on a more affordable level. I have done all of these too and enjoyed everyone, just as much and sometimes more than the cost-prohibitive options.

Taking time to step away and nourish our creative juices is a necessary part of the cycle of creation. The ability to generate ideas amidst the daily life of work, family, and children, can be exhausting and run the risk of drying up or burning out a strong talent. We all know people in our lives who were the best at what they did, until one day they couldn't do it anymore. I can list at least ten teachers who shined like no other. They gave it all, every day, and yet are no longer in the classroom. The same with talented writers who let the rejection get to them. All of those gifted people burned out and left what was once their passion tired, with nothing in the tank. They didn't take care of themselves, and forgot the old saying, "You can't pour from an empty cup."

Now, procrastination can masquerade as self-care, so we have to be careful. Who wouldn't love to get a massage instead of slog through the rest of a chapter proving difficult? Or get coffee with a friend rather than tackle all of those emails? Self-care can also cloud our to-do lists with additional obligations. If rushing to make it to yoga stresses us out more than just going home or staying late at work, I would suggest that we opt for the path of least resistance. If laying on a massage table relaxes muscles, but the brain still is working overtime on our to-do list, then, in my opinion, that time would have been better spent clearing the decks. We have to be mindful about where we are and what we have on our plates, and realistic with what is going to be the most positive use of our time. I set goals for myself and only indulge after I have achieved that target. This way I find I'm actually able to nod to myself at a job well done and walk away from the task at hand to free my mind for a little bit.

For self-care to work, we need to listen to our bodies and take a step back and look at how we are filling our days. One size does not fit all. Self-care is doing what is best for us.

That being said, I'm logging off for the night.

Kathryn