Self Care Sunday. Three magical words that will change your life if you let them. I first discovered the concept of #SelfCareSunday on Instagram, where I manage the @fredandfar page and engage with our community. In 2017, women around the world have been sharing acts of self care every Sunday with the hashtag, and in doing so, have furthered the self love revolution that I so passionately advocate for.
Why is posting a picture of yourself in the bathtub with a glitter bath bomb on a Sunday morning so important?
Because for most women, the idea of making self care a consistent, scheduled, and sacred part of our weeks feels wrong. At least at first. I know for me, self care is something that wasn't on my radar at all until I had burned myself to the ground through self sacrifice and neglect. I didn't do simple things for myself - like drinking water or moving my body - or more complex things for myself either - like asking for help, or saying no to things that I knew would push me over the edge (i.e. having a boundary). I didn't make my body a priority - skipping meals because work was more important, skipping workouts because I felt guilty to spend that time with myself instead of my kids. Self care always felt discretionary, and so unlike work, I never prioritized it. I always found a way to make something or someone else more important than my own needs, and in doing so, actually felt gratified because I thought I was being generous, and giving, and a superwoman. Because that's what women are supposed to be right, an endless well of energy and light.
Well, my light burned out and my energy wasn't endless. I became angry. Cold. Distant. Numb. Out of sync with my body. My sexuality. My creativity. My ME.
And so, I started scheduling self care - with my Self Love Pinky Ring as my daily reminder to do so. Workouts, check. Blowouts, check. Therapy, check. All of these things though, came with a price tag. And my commitment to myself - though improving my body and mind - was starting to make a not so insignificant impact on my finances.
Which is why for me, Self Care Sunday is a must. Because on Sunday, other people don't work for the most part. That means no trainer to lean on, no therapist to schedule with. It's just me, myself and I. And each week, I challenge myself to listen to my body and mind and find the simple act of self care that will give me the energy I need to get through the week. Sometimes it is a bath (lately with bath salts - so good) and sometimes it is binge watching TV while my husband takes the kids to the park. Sometimes it it making a plan for the work week ahead so I feel less anxious about what I need to accomplish, and sometimes it's catching up on the phone with a friend, or eating the long, slow breakfast I never make time for during the week. These acts, they are all a rebellion against my instinct to busy myself with the never ending list of seemingly urgent things I have to get done.
Another reason #SelfCareSunday is so important to me is because each week, I know I can count on Instagram to connect me with the energy of women who are in the same space. And being connected to other women who are energetically in a whole, positive and self loving place is profoundly powerful, as anyone who is part of our Instagram community can attest to. Plus, one hashtag search inundates with ideas for my own self care plan for the day - which is helpful when self care doesn't come naturally.
So today, and every Sunday, make self care a commitment you stick to. It will feel wrong at first, but sometime feeling wrong is the road to feeling right. And if you're on Instagram, snap a picture of yourself in action and share it. You'll never know whom you'll end up inspiring (namely me).*
xx,
Melody
*Please tag me when you do. I love celebrating your self care and self love commitments.