Sometimes Self-Care Is...
First of all: shoutout to my boo, my bestie, my Brookie for the AMAZING redesign of my blog!!! I love it so much *heart eye* she did this in like 2 hours yesterday. She's inhuman. Show her some love for all her amazing work <3
Secondly: Yes, I do know that COVID-19 is a big deal. I'm still not blogging about it. It's still important to address and read about other things that will matter through this epidemic and beyond ;)
So...yeah. Post time.
(Note: This is not in any way meant to be a bash of different thing mentioned in this post. I just wanted to provide a slightly different perspective. ;))
It isn't about cutting people out.
It isn't about taking bubble baths and doing facials and painting your nails.
It isn't about buying things when you don't need them or splurging or eating ice cream or going to the mall or taking a nap.
Are these things bad? No.
But are they the BEST? No.
Self-care isn't always about doing the very specific things people on the internet recommend. Because here is the thing: YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL, and so is every person on the internet. Sometimes, we seem like faceless blogs, communicating through the written word, our true voices never heard, our true faces hidden behind filtered selfies and graphic avatars. We aren't real. It's so easy to be general, to hide our true personalities, to talk in Tumblr language and ignore our needs.
But we are called to be more than that.
You are not the person on Tumblr who urges you to cut every toxic person out of your life. For them, perhaps it is the truth; perhaps they must break off relationships. Sometimes, life requires that. For your sake, for theirs...you cannot make every relationship last. But sometimes, your life will require you to work through things and heal your relationship so that, in the end, you have a stronger relationship than before. Sometimes, THAT is self-care.
You are not the girl on instagram talking about her soaps and hot baths and homemade bath bombs. Perhaps you do like baths. I tried to take one, and my bathtub is too small to truly accommodate me. Sometimes, self-care looks like taking a hot shower for five minutes and then giving yourself permission to just sit for a few minutes while your hair dries. Sometimes it's taking a walk instead.
You are not the person who shows pictures of her buying splurge when she's depressed. Sometimes, self-care looks like sitting down to make a budget for yourself, focusing on dealing with unnecessary spending and cutting out your expenses that don't make you feel better in the long-run. Sometimes, self-care is driving past Wendy's and saying "another time" instead of pulling in and getting that large Frosty you're craving.
Sometimes self-care is hoisting dumbbells while the sweat trickles down your back and you curse your weak knees.
Sometimes self-care is staying up late talking to someone you trust about what's going on so you can work through it.
Sometimes self-care is putting down the phone and taking the dog for a five-mile walk to clear your head.
Sometimes self-care is looking at you--beautiful, flawed, imperfect, aching you, carved by the hands of a loving Father, worth more than the stars in the sky--and saying, "I am me, and I do not need what everyone else claims to."
Sometimes self-care is falling to your knees and spending an hour in prayer.
Sometimes self-care is going to church, even though it's hard to get up in the morning.
Sometimes self-care is letting your Circadian rhythms take over and going to bed at 10:30, even though you like to stay up til 3 and you can function on 4 hours of sleep. Sometimes it's realizing...rest is good.
Sometimes, it's just letting yourself breathe.
We are broken people, made of flesh and bone and nerves and a thousand intricate pieces stitched together. We are not unbreakable. We are fragile, and yet some of the strongest creations in the universe.
And sometimes, taking care of ourselves entails doing the hard stuff. The things we'd rather not do. Getting up in the morning. Working out. Refusing to spend money. Being intentional.
It's not just the aesthetic things. Your life is not an internet blog. Your life is yours, and you were called to it by a Father who loves you.
Sometimes, self-care is doing what's difficult.
42 comments
YES TO EVERYTHING IN THIS POST. <3 <3 <3 The Internet's version of self-care is always so hit-or-miss, but you nailed it. :)
ReplyDelete"Your life is not an Internet blog." <<<<< YES YES YES YES YES
(also, LOVING this new blog design!! :D)
<3 Thank you!!!!!
DeleteIT IS AN IMPORTANT REMINDER THAT I THINK WE ALL NEED.
(Thanks!!!!)
YES TO THIS POST!!
ReplyDeleteANd the blog design is *heart eyes*
THANK YOU!!!!
DeleteI knoooow isn't it gorgeous ^_^
"It's so easy to be general, to hide our true personalities, to talk in Tumblr language and ignore our needs...But we are called to be more than that." Oh, this is so good. <3
ReplyDeleteOnce we realize that "self-care" doesn't have a one-size-fits-all formula we can truly start growing and feeling more at peace. Thank you for writing on such an important topic!
<3 Thank you! It's something that's bothered me for a while, haha. Thank YOU for reading!
DeleteThe new blog design!!! So pretty!!!
ReplyDeleteI needed to hear this! <3 I can easily fall into that world, where I try to do what everyone else is doing when all I need is more sleep and water.
Thanks! ^_^
DeleteYessss sleep and water are ALWAYS the answer haha
First off, WOW IS THIS SITE GORGEOUS. :D
ReplyDeleteSecond, I LOVE this post. Because it's the truth. Humans are so different and unique from each other, and what we need is different and unique too. I think we can all agree that taking care of ourselves requires us to do things we don't necessarily want to do. How else would we grow and live the life the Lord has for us otherwise?
Thanks for sharing this! <3
THANK YOU!!!! It's alllll Brooke ;)
DeleteI'm so glad! And yesssss it's a struggle, but it's worth it. I love you bringing up growth. Such an important point that we're all scared of.
Thank you for reading!
I love you, boo. I love this post. I love your raw honesty and your ability to challenge my mind with things like this. This is truly the self-care post the world needs. <3 <3 <3
ReplyDelete*applauds you on your design skills*
Delete<3 <3 I love you so much boo
DeleteOOOHHHHH LOVE THE DESIGNNN !!
ReplyDeleteBROOKE IS GENIUSSSSS
DeleteFirst of all, THIS NEW DESIGN IS GORGEOUS. That header is just breathtaking, and everything is so white and bright and happy. I LOVE!!!
ReplyDeleteSecondly, oh my gracious goodness YES TO THIS POOOST. This is something I think about a LOT. Sooo much of the world's advice is, quite honestly, toxic. Not to mention unbiblical. Yes, sometimes, SOMETIMES, we should allow ourselves to splurge, but being responsible and healthy and working on our relationships is the real goal of self care.
"And sometimes, taking care of ourselves entails doing the hard stuff." <---THIS. THIS THIS THIS. It's so true. Being lazy and selfish and spend thrifts doooesn't always pay off. Not that we can NEVER do those things. But I feel like the internet is always telling us being selfish and lazy is the best thing for us and just??? No. Self care DOES require hard work sometimes, and, as you said, it's different for every single person.
THIS POST WAS JUST SO GOOD. Thank you for saying what needed to be said. This is important! <3
I AM LOVING THIS CHANGE SO MUCH and it just...yeah. It's the change I needed ^_^
DeleteYesss! It is entirely unbiblical and it just...eah.
YES! Self care is all across the board and it just isn't one size fits all.
<3 <3 Thank you for reading it!!!!!
*claps* I. Love. This.
ReplyDeleteThank youuuuu <3
DeleteI LOVE THE NEW DESIGN.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE THIS POST.
JUST LOTSA LOVE💛💛
I LOVE YOUUUU THANK YOU <3
DeleteI LOVE YOU TOO<3
DeleteWow, YES this was so good Faith. <333
ReplyDeleteAnd the new design is lovely!!! <333
Thank you MEM <3
DeleteThanks!!!!
I LOVE THE NEW DESIGN!!!
ReplyDeleteAlso this post just left me speechless, bursting inside with excitement and overflowing with exuberance. (Yes, I loved this post xD) <333333
THANK YOUUUUUU
DeleteOh my xD thanks! So glad you appreciated!
I love this post. It's true, a lot of the time taking care of yourself literally just means TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF rather than indulging in every whim. I liked this a lot. So thank you.
ReplyDeleteYES INDEED and thank you for reading! <3
DeleteI love the new design! It's so pretty!
ReplyDeleteAlso a fantastic post!!!
Isn't it? I love it *heart eyes*
DeleteThanks!!!! <3
Your site looks AWESOME!! I love it!!
ReplyDeleteOh, my gosh! This post made me cry!! It's so true, and I'm so glad someone thinks the same way as I do!! Everytime I hear people talk about those kinds of things, it hurts me, and I want to show them what it really means to take care of yourself! What it really means to "be kind to yourself." So thank you so much for this post!!It was very encouraging and convicting! Keep going!!
(Sorry, it is Harper, my computer is just acting up, and not letting me sign in. Lol)
Thanks!!!
DeleteAcckk I'm so glad it helped you! <3 And I'm sorry you cried? I think? xD
(No worries at all! <3)
OMGOSH Brooke did such a good job!!! ANd yes to this whole post! i definitely wanted to cry so thanks for writing such words. <3<3<3
ReplyDeleteShe did! <3 Thank you so much <3 <3 <3
DeleteI NEEDED THIS. Amazing and so true. <333
ReplyDeleteI adore the new blog look!!!
<3 <3 Thanks babe.
DeleteThanks! (Allll Brooke ;))
THIS IS SO GOOD. I especially appreciate the parts about budgeting and being responsible with money, because I've gotten to the point where I actually spend so little money and it makes me so much happier. xD
ReplyDeleteThis post is just so important. Everyone is different, and that's OKAY!
Also YOUR BLOG LOOKS SO GOOOOOOD!! Brooke did an amazing job!
theonesthatreallymatter.blogspot.com
YESS!!!! It's so freeing to not buy things all the time.
DeleteThanks!!!
Yes she did! She's amazing and I love her SO MUCH <3
This post almost made me cry, and I swear I'm not a crier. But it's just... so true. Self-care is something I really struggle with, just... figuring out what's best for me, figuring out what I need, rather than what others have said I need or what the actions of those around me make me think I need. It's something I'm still sorting through, but I really appreciate this post. <3
ReplyDeleteAlexa
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Also, your new blog design is beautiful!!! <3 :D
DeleteAghhhh I can't believe so many people are almost crying from this *sobs* But I'm so glad this spoke to you! <3
DeleteThis is so helpful. Thank you, much needed! I love how you show your confidence within your presentation . Great learning about Saurabh Sharangapani . Have found these tips to be of great guideline .
ReplyDeleteHello, friends! Do make yourselves comfortable and stay for a while--I'd love to chat with you! I simply ask that you keep it clean. :)