There’s lots of information out there on self-care and how important it is. But I think it can also be confusing.
We are given different messages on what self-care actually is- and what it isn’t; especially from an introverted perspective.
What I have learned for me, is that often self-care is not something I do, that for me, self care is often happens in the not doing something.
Self-care for me, is getting up before anyone else and drinking coffee in quiet as my dog lies beside me.
Self-care for me is going for a run with no cell phone so no one can get a hold of me. I bring my dog (whose name is Pip) on the runs and it is not self care for her. As a Labrador Retriever, I am sure she sees no point in running if there is no fetching. As you can see, we all get to define what self-care is
If we go back to the extroverted expectations- self-care might be heading out for the day or weekend with a group of friends, it may be heading to the pub with friends to watch the game, or maybe inviting family or friends over for dinner.
So, if you’re like me, and self-care often occurs on your own, you might feel like you are doing self-care wrong. You might think that you are supposed to want to have others with you. What can happen is that you either avoid doing self-care the way that fits best for you or when you are on your own, you feel a bit weird about it so it doesn’t work nearly as well.
Or you might really nicely do self-care that fits just right for you!
Take some time to reflect on how you take care of yourself- do you avoid it, do you try to do it the extroverted way, do you know what really works for you and are able to make time for it?
If you find yourself not doing so great in this area, I suggest challenging yourself, see if you can try one or two things that feel good for you and notice the difference it makes.
Another helpful tool is my offering: Your 90 Day Guide: Create your own Introvert before and after story that you are welcome to grab a copy of.
