“Self-care is an act of resistance” – Audre Lorde
If you are a person with eyeballs and internet connection, you are witnessing the deep sense of unrest moving through our country.
And if you’re a person who values compassion, justice, and empathy? Yikes. If I could hug ya right now, I would.
You aren’t alone. We are absorbing distressing information at an alarming rate. As the world feels increasingly hard, unsettling and scary, people are struggling with one thing when it comes to self-care: permission.
Permission to slow down.
Permission to laugh, celebrate and find joy.
Permission to unclench your jaw and take a nourishing breath.
Permission to prioritize what makes your body feel good.
Permission to take deep care of your mental health.
Permission to make space for things that bring you pleasure.
Permission to show up for yourself in big and small ways.
We cannot wait until the world problems are healed before we care for ourselves. It’s not selfish or wrong or even ignorant to put our own self-care on the map.
Self-care does not mean turning a blind eye. But when was the last time you took a break?
What if you could care deeply about what’s happening AND care for yourself?
If it was possible to hold both truths, how would you move through the world? What decisions would you make for yourself and your life?
Let’s take it a step further with some inspiration from the great American writer, activist, and intersectional feminist Audre Lorde. Lorde famously stated, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Lorde spoke up for self-care as an act of resistance for Black feminists during the Civil Rights Movement.
With this wisdom in mind, we can reframe our self-care as a crucial tool in the fight toward great equity for all.
Eat breakfast.
Take that walk.
Book that doctor’s appointment.
Give yourself that five minutes to meditate.
What can you do for yourself this week?