March 14, 2017
Last week, I asked my Facebook friends to share their favorite form of self-care. The results were so inspiring, I collected the data and made a graph to illustrate these findings, and also because #dataisbeautiful.
I never intended to write a blog post about self-care, but the results were way too interesting to keep to myself. I originally posted the self-care inquiry on Facebook as an attempt to remember what self-care looks like for me; I had actually forgotten how to sooth my inner self. I thought my friends might have some great advice, and they delivered!
A Few Interesting Observations:
- 32 Total Responders
- 31 Female
- 1 Male (Shoutout to Jon! Where my other guys at?)
- 62 fabulous forms of Self-Care shared
Top 8 Self-Care Methods (in this data set)
- Mindfulness/Meditation/Yoga – includes physical asana, checking in with your body, and gratitude practice
- Connecting With Nature – includes physically being in a natural-feeling setting or watching wildlife
- Hiking and/or Walking
- Massages – includes face and body
- Candles/Aromatherapy
- Petting Furry Friends – also includes doing an activity with them
- Reading/Audiobooks – podcasts not included
- Skin Care – includes masks, facials and overall skin care
Frequency of Self-Care Method Shared
Self-Care: What it is vs. What it’s not
Self-care is the easiest thing to neglect. We are busy, constantly swarming, and it feels luxurious to take time out for ourselves. Taking time for ourselves (or even thinking about it) can sometimes leave us feeling guilty and anxious; we’ve tricked our minds into thinking we’re too busy to tend to our authentic, individual needs. We believe there’s always something else requiring most, if not all of our attention.
Self-care is not selfish, it’s critical. It is is not a reward, but an essential part of the process of life. Self-care actually enables us to progress faster in life than without it; self-care routines help fight “burnt out” feelings, help reduce the negative effects of stress, and allow us to refocus. We are artists, painting the canvas of our lives into a work that is beautiful, unique, whole, communicative, thought-provoking, honest, and perfectly imperfect.
Self-care is when you step back, look at your canvas, decide what color or shape you should use next, pick up your brush, and do what feels right. Self-care is feeding your soul. Self-care is deciding to skip that 100th Chaturanga in yoga class because you know your shoulders are about to give out. Self-care is practicing gratitude, and it is practicing patience with yourself and others (yes, and others!)
Make a positive shift in your self-care routines by protecting your schedule, learning to say “no,” regular exercise (groan), and spending your time & money on what matters most to you.
I indulged, or rather invested, in my self-care practice over the weekend with a face mask, a bubble bath (complete with a Lush bath bomb omg), candles, aromatherapy, writing, drawing, reading, and last but certainly not least, cuddling with the doggies. Ahhhh. Thank you so much for the reminders and recommendations my friends!
Want to help make the data even more beautiful? Leave a comment below
with your favorite self-care activity, routine and/or philosophy!
