Self-care is often the hardest thing

Self-care has received a lot of media coverage lately, yet I find myself puzzling over what's being presented as self-care. Some commentators seem to think it's a dressed-up cover for self-indulgence, while others seem to be proposing what sounds to me like yet another way for us to torture ourselves through strict diets and rigid exercise regimes. Either way, it seems to be seen as a solution to be found "out there".

A friend drew my attention to this blog post by Brianna Wiest, and for me she says something very real about what I understand about self-care. "If you find yourself having to regularly indulge in consumer self-care, it’s because you are disconnected from actual self-care, which has very little to do with 'treating yourself' and a whole lot do with parenting yourself and making choices for your long-term wellness."

You can read the blog here.