A reminder to take care of you
true self-care is necessary, and free
I had a speaking event this week.
Afterwards, I walked to my car and got inside. Fifteen minutes later, I was still sitting behind the wheel. Still in the parking lot, just sitting. The talk went well, but as soon as I stepped outside the rest of my energy drained out of me.
At first, I took this as proof that I’m an introvert, although the personality tests are inconclusive.
Later, I realized that taking that brief and unplanned pause was a necessary act of self-care. Intuitively and almost involuntarily, I’d stopped to recharge my internal battery before moving on with my day.
Self-care isn’t sexy, and it’s also not a luxury. It’s critical to our well-being. (Just speaking from experience here). Sometimes I don’t know how depleted I am until I find myself sitting in a parking lot and staring out the car window in the middle of the afternoon.
Self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate, expensive, time consuming, or complicated. This week’s newsletter is a collective reminder to make/take/grab/steal time for yourself as often as you can.
Here’s a short list of ideas that take 15 minutes or less:
• walk around the block
• step outside, breathe the air, look at the sky, and listen to the sounds.
• read a few pages of a book
• make a cup of coffee or tea, eat lunch, or have a snack. Don’t check email or scroll your phone. Savor it.
• turn off the radio while driving so you can hear the sound of your own thoughts.
• wherever you are, stop what you’re doing, set a timer for 5-10 minutes, and just sit.
What simple acts of self-care would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments.
Well this is exciting:
I’ve been nominated for Best Local Author by the Charleston City Paper. Please cast your vote!
Upcoming Events:
I have 3 more dates in my book talk series hosted by the Charleston County Library:
• Thursday, March 14 @ 4 p.m. - Edisto Library
• Tuesday, March 19 @ 6 p.m. – Wando Mount Pleasant Library
• Saturday, April 27 @ 2 p.m. – Baxter-Patrick James Island Library
I’m Angie Mizzell, the author of the coming-of-age memoir “Girl in the Spotlight”. Thank you for reading my weekly newsletter “Hello Friday”. I’m glad you’re here.
My website
Great article! I have been learning to self- care the last several months. I like to sit or lie down and listen to a favorite song or two or a meditation. It usually only takes 15 or 20 minutes but it's worth the time. 😄
Bubble baths are one of my favorite self-care activities.