When I first heard the word self-care; I had to ask myself; what is self-care? Is it personal hygiene? Is it pampering yourself at the spa? Is it spending time with friends and not always working? Is it finding quiet time for yourself? Well according to Wikipedia, self-care includes all health decisions people make for themselves and their families to ensure they are physically and mentally fit. So I suppose one could say that self-care is a healthy combination of everything mentioned above!
When I was in my twenties and thirties self-care wasn’t about exercise, regular doctors’ visits or eating right. It looked more like getting my hair done, having a massage or getting a manicure / pedicure and even sometimes taking a lunch break at the beach with a good book. It was more about finding quiet time to pamper myself or rather have others pamper me; not necessarily taking care of myself with physical exercise and nutrition or establishing a set of regular behaviors that would balance out the emotional and physical stress of being a daughter, wife, mother and business owner.
Today, in my late forties and being a newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic, self-care looks much different. Although I do still pamper myself I am spending a good deal of time educating myself and establishing behaviors that support healthy living. Things like meal planning, chopping vegetables, riding my bike and going to the gym take up a good deal of my time. I am also building a team of healthcare professionals that include my primary health care physician, a nutritionist, a personal trainer, and a mental health counselor.
I have discovered that self-care is intentional and different for everyone! It is about finding balance in your life, eating right, engaging in regular exercise and finding ways to eliminate the