Nowadays, the phrase “self-care” is used so frequently. Do not misunderstand, creating rituals for psychological health and wellness is crucial, and as a therapist, I strongly recommend it.
I do, however, wonder if we’ve lost the purpose behind the practice as well as the capacity to thoughtfully imagine and describe what the actual means of taking care of ourselves are.
I’ve heard the question, “What do you do for self-care?” tacked onto the end of therapy sessions, lectures, and meetings in such a flippant way that when prepared answers, like “I do Yoga,” “I meditate,” etc., are automatically thrown back, I question whether there is even any truth to them.
To be completely honest, I’ve been known to respond to the same question with a glossy, canned statement that I carefully crafted to suggest that I partake in certain popular pastimes and am at the height of wellness, even though in actuality, these pastimes don’t resonate with me at all.
The routines, rituals, and practices we engage in only serve us well if we find value in them and find them to be appealing. In essence, self-care is only possible if we can motivate ourselves to do it.
Journaling
I often encourage my clients to spend time journaling, as it can allow us to process our thoughts and feelings, and it can reduce our cognitive and emotional load. Something about putting a pen (or pencil) to paper not only allows us to follow a thought to its conclusion, but also enables us to remove that item from the full load we carry, which can be weighty. That’s why I love to-do lists.
Journaling takes the list a step further by allowing us to reflect, and it can offer us a deeper sense of self-awareness than we had before. On the flip side, though, journaling about something anxiety-provoking or negative may hold us in that space and create a situation in which we perseverate upon the exact thing we’re trying to work through. Journaling is different for everyone, and it’s important that each person does what works best for them.
