In Community and In Resistance

Wikipedia defines self-care as, “personal health maintenance…Self care includes all health decisions people (as individuals or consumers) make for themselves and their families to get and stay physically and mentally fit.”

The way that I incorporate self-care into my own life is geared more towards caring for my mental health, as it seems to be for most of my followers. Oftentimes, however, taking care of myself physically can lead to reduced stress and an improved mental state.

When I start to become very depressed or anxious, I know it’s time to engage in my self-care routine. This is, firstly, to prevent it from getting worse, and then to give myself the strength to move past those feelings / that state of mind. 

In my own words, I would say self-care is the personal work I do away from therapists and institutions to preserve and care for my mental state. Self-care, for me, also ties into self-love. Believing that self-care is productive and important has led me to take better care of myself, and that has increased my self-esteem and self-worth. 

Examples of the self-care I regularly partake in :

• journaling
• knitting
• embroidery (just started this with a best friend!)
• taking a walk
• eating food that makes my body feel good (that sometimes means fruit and vegetables and it sometimes means taco bell — just depends on how I’m feeling!)
• music — listening to it, making it
• tumblr — seriously! i follow so many self-love and self-care oriented blogs, and reading them energizes me and reminds me that my state of being is important and worthy of time and care
• watching a comforting / funny / witty movie
• dressing up in clothing and makeup that makes me feel good
• cutting myself a break — reminding myself that I am just as important as work, school, and friends, and that I deserve to invest time in myself 
• calling a friend who understands self-care and depression and enlisting their help

Those are just a few!

Here are some additional resources discussing what self-care is tips for incorporating it into your routine :

• 50 Ways to Practice Great Self-Care Without Spending a Dime
• The Importance of Self-Care and Stress Management
• Self-Care Tips
• 70 Ways for Self-Care
• Twenty Five Self Care Tips that Oprah Didn’t Give You
• 25 Self-Care Tips for Body & Soul