These days, everyone is making self-care a habit. It might sneak into your evening routine, or take a place of glory within your established Sunday reset. Self-love is a non-negotiable for many people trying to avoid burnout and other stresses in their lives. Black women in particular have embraced going to therapy, immersing themselves in a peaceful life, and inspiring others. older generation To take their healing seriously. It seems that self-love is here to stay.
What is self-love?
There are many types of self-love. Definitions change and adjust for each person. Essentially, it’s about showing love and respect for yourself. There is extensive discussion about how to better participate; friendship and the corresponding relationship love language, it is equally important to learn how to treat yourself with love.Even if it’s over intentional rest When you are used to staying busy or Speak more kindly to yourself The ultimate goal is to have a habit of loving yourself.
When we take a closer look at how Black women approach their much-needed personal time, we find that several platforms are emerging on social media. These platforms exist to counter harmful narratives, such as the “strong black woman” myth. These spaces prioritize providing resources to Black women. find a black female therapist People who easily understand their identity, celebrate their bodies, and repeat affirmations of self-love.
Alisha Reid As a clinical pharmacist and self-care strategist, I have seen first-hand how self-care impacts the health of our communities. As a self-care strategist, Reed provides tools and training to create successful self-care plans. She’s also a mother who believes self-care is non-negotiable, and she’s determined to break her generational curse that “strong women don’t take breaks.” Dr. Reed describes her self-sabotaging and self-compassionate behaviors:
Incorporate self-love and self-care into your daily life
Reid said smart women know when to take a break and explained that self-care is self-preservation.
“I think of it as preventive medicine,” she said. “There are many health conditions that are made worse by stress, including autoimmune diseases (arthritis, lupus, etc.), anxiety, panic disorder, high blood pressure, infertility, PCOS, and hair loss. Get emergency treatment and tell your doctor to take better care of yourself. Why should I wait until someone tells me to?”
Ultimately, the best way to invest in true self-care is to take responsibility for your own self-care routine.
“Having a self-care plan gives you the tools to live a healthier, happier life,” she said. “Think of a self-care plan as a guide to staying healthy. It’s a toolkit that you can tap into whenever you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or need a break. I recommend using something from each of the six types of self-care. I am choosing.”
Dr. Reed outlines how each of the six types of self-care feeds into your self-care plan.
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physically: Take a walk or wear a sheet mask
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Emotional: Talk to a therapist or write in a diary
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mental: read a book or learn something new
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socializing: Play with girls and join groups
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practical: Organize your closet and set goals
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spiritual: Participate in worship and interact with nature
Commercialization of self-care
Even if you have a self-care plan or a daily way to prioritize yourself, sometimes it’s easy to neglect your routine. According to Reid, the most common reasons most people don’t practice self-care include guilt and lack of time or money.
Reid believes the growing self-care trend is becoming synonymous with luxury gifts, travel, and spa days. All of these things are very necessary, and black women should feel entitled to claim their love of luxury however they like, but it shouldn’t be seen as the only way to achieve self-care.
“Self-care has been commercialized, and we’re led to believe that if it’s not a luxury, it’s not self-care,” she says.
Reid acknowledges how easy it is to substitute massage or travel for self-love. She advises that these things should not be viewed as “a band-aid to hide the underlying problem.”
There is also a discussion about not accepting time off. Working too hard beyond healthy limits can quickly turn you from self-love to self-sabotage.
“One of the ways women self-sabotage is through limiting beliefs like ‘mothers don’t take breaks’ or ‘successful women don’t take breaks,'” Reed said.
Reed argues that self-care makes you a better mother, friend, employee, and spouse.
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