The Case For Self Care
By Jennifer Snyder

Self care has emerged as a hot topic for today’s women striving to balance the responsibilities of work and family. I define self care as combinations of fulfilling activities or quiet moments that allow individuals to rejuvenate their energies and regain their joy for life.

Unfortunately, self care is not generally supported by our culture, and some people equate self care with abandoning responsibilities or being self centered. Women often receive rave reviews for taking better care of others than they do themselves. For example, we might hear, “Isn’t Sarah remarkable; she puts everyone’s needs above her own.” Or “That, Lisa, I don’t know how she operates on just five hours of sleep a night; isn’t she extraordinary?” As a result, many women are suffering near epidemic levels of physical, emotional, and spiritual fatigue.

I believe that taking time for yourself allows you to be a better wife, mother, friend, and employee. Consider the following: Self care is empowering. When you implement any healthy practice into your routine, you are taking charge of your life. You are the expert on your needs, and if you don’t acknowledge their importance who will? We are not benefiting our families when we don’t take time for ourselves. Because we are emotionally depleted, loved ones see that we are worn out and frustrated. While we do our best to respond to their needs, they often feel guilty for needing us. When we are overwhelmed, we lack the energy and focus to make the same clear decisions that we normally would. We are unable to problem solve in a purposeful manner. If we take care of ourselves regularly, we can better handle life’s challenges that are bound to come up in our lives.

We serve as role models for our children. When we take care of ourselves, we show them an example of positive esteem and healthy behaviors.

I moved to a new area during the summer and have had the opportunity to meet many of my new neighbors. One of my new neighbors is Kerri. Like many of us, Kerri and her husband are balancing career and family. As we introduced ourselves, I told Kerri that I conducted workshops for women, immediately launching into my explanation about the importance of self care. Kerri already understood my job and said, “I compare the importance of self care to a cup in the sink. As the cup sits there, little by little, it gathers droplets of water. No appreciable stream of water is ever needed to keep it full; there are just enough drops over time to fill it up. That’s the way it is with self care; if I take care of myself little by little, I can then give from my reserves and never become empty.”

If we do just a few things regularly, to renew our energy and revitalize our spirit, we can continue providing for others from a place of abundance. We have, within us, additional resources to share with our family and friends.

I challenge you to try some activities (either calming and reflective, or exhilarating) for the next month. Arrange some time in your schedule for self care, and notice how much better you feel. If you’d like to talk about some possibilities, feel free to give me a call.