Redefine What Taking Care of Yourself Look Like

For a long time, I thought taking care of myself had to look like extremes. Either I was doing everything perfectly or I wasn't doing enough at all. Self-care felt like something I had to earn after exhaustion not something I was allowed to practice daily.

That belief came from survival.

The survival version of me learned to push through. She learned to ignore her body, her emotions, and her needs because slowing down didn't feel safe. And while that helped me get through certain seasons, it isn't how I want to live now.

So, lately I've been redefining what taking care of myself actually mean and looks like.

Not as performance.

Not as a reward.

But as a relationship.

What taking care of yourself doesn't have to look like...

• It doesn't have to be expensive.

• It doesn't have to be aesthetic.

• It doesn't have to be perfect or consistent every single day.

• Taking care of yourself doesn't mean fixing everything at once. It means responding instead of ignoring.

What taking care of yourself can look like....

• Taking care of yourself can be choosing rest without guilt, even when there's more to do.

• It can be eating in a way that supports your body instead of punishing it.

• It can be creating routines that feel grounding rather than overwhelming.

• Sometimes, it's simply asking yourself, " What do I need right now? " And honoring the answer.

• It can be setting boundaries without over explaining apologizing.

A mindset shift that changed everything for me: " I stopped asking, Have I done enough to deserve care and started asking, what would it look like to respect myself today? "

Take This What You:

I honor the woman who survived.

I respect what she protected me from.

And I choose not to stay her.