The Self-Care/Self Love Edit

With all the content that I watch and follow from others on this topic, I feel like it can be easy to fall into a certain mindset that feels too strict or rigid with ourselves and the way we go about self-care in general. I myself have fallen into this pattern where I thought I had to stay on top of things all the time, and if I didn't, I'd just give up. This habit can often lead to laziness or not feeling motivated to do anything because of this "all or nothing" mindset. 

Self care is important, but the concept of that can branch out in a lot of different approaches. Whether if you're into fitness, yoga, taking hot showers or sitting inside a warm bathtub with some kind of bath salt, there are a lot of ways you can implement self care. What I've learned over the years though with my self-care routine is that these little things we do for ourselves CAN be edited. Everyone's lives are different, and as we continue to evolve, so does our habits. Now I'm not saying this for the sake of hurting anybody or for the sake of being judgmental, but if you're someone who's always wanting things to be perfect, you might want to reevaluate your priorities in life and how you come across to others if this is something you struggle with.

Perfectionism is something I've struggled with some in my early 20's. The thing with this habit and how it ties into self care is while there's nothing wrong with taking some time for yourself, there's a difference between that alone and alienating yourself for whatever reason that may be. I myself have had moments where I felt the need to be by myself for a little while, but there have also been times where I just wanted to be away from people and not speak to anyone. The big difference here between these two things has a lot to do with your attitude or outlook on life.  

Self-love and self care both fall into this mentality of wanting to care for your health and well-being, and while these concepts can be beneficial at times, they can also be detrimental. Self love is important because it helps us to distinguish our boundaries and what we don't easily tolerate. Self care on the other hand is a habit/practice we use to help ourselves feel safe, calm and at peace. What these two concepts should not be is an excuse for a lack of personal growth. It shouldn't be an enabler or some kind of crutch for whatever other issues you're struggling with when it comes to life in general. 

So to wrap this up, I want to leave with you something to think about: would you rather continue learning and growing, or would you rather stay the same? You can still do whatever works for you and continue going about your routine, but when it comes to life, what are you doing to help better yourself? What steps are you taking to ensure that you are living your best life in a positive way? I feel like it's easy for a lot of us to get wrapped up in our physical health and appearances, but don't forget to check in with your emotions or mental health every now and then. Ask yourself the hard questions that you might have been avoiding lately; I can promise you that it'll be worth the pay off in the end.