Part 1: What Does Self-Care Mean to Us?
October 5, 2020 | Written by Doris Park
October 5, 2020 | Written by Doris Park
Definition
Definition
The basic definition of self-care is in the words itself: taking care of yourself. This is something we all do unconsciously and consciously. Once we become more mindful of our daily actions, we can see how self-care is effortlessly incorporated into every part of our lives- physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Then, we can debunk the myths that self-care is selfish, time-consuming, or expensive. If we take a step back and analyze how small things in our day contribute to our self-care, then we learn to focus on those small things and practice self-care in the most basic way possible.
The basic definition of self-care is in the words itself: taking care of yourself. This is something we all do unconsciously and consciously. Once we become more mindful of our daily actions, we can see how self-care is effortlessly incorporated into every part of our lives- physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Then, we can debunk the myths that self-care is selfish, time-consuming, or expensive. If we take a step back and analyze how small things in our day contribute to our self-care, then we learn to focus on those small things and practice self-care in the most basic way possible.
Purpose and Meaning
Purpose and Meaning
For us at COVE, self-care was immensely important because of the nature of the organization as volunteer-based. For us, like most people, we devoted all of our leisure time to volunteer because we wanted to direct our extra energy towards helping others during a very stressful and seemingly hopeless time in 2020.
For us at COVE, self-care was immensely important because of the nature of the organization as volunteer-based. For us, like most people, we devoted all of our leisure time to volunteer because we wanted to direct our extra energy towards helping others during a very stressful and seemingly hopeless time in 2020.
Almost immediately, we began to feel the burnout and the exhaustion that came with overworking. Our productivity was at an all-time low, we were making silly mistakes that we had to come back and fix, and most importantly, our spirit was nearly crushed. We were putting in maximum hours, but getting minimum results.
Almost immediately, we began to feel the burnout and the exhaustion that came with overworking. Our productivity was at an all-time low, we were making silly mistakes that we had to come back and fix, and most importantly, our spirit was nearly crushed. We were putting in maximum hours, but getting minimum results.
When we decided to implement self-care into our work day, we were initially nervous and anxious- what if we didn’t have enough time to complete our tasks? What if we miss an important announcement or email? However, once people started setting their time boundaries and taking their breaks, we noticed that we were becoming more productive and efficient; our breaks allowed us to reset and come back stronger. Our work was nearly perfect because we had multiple eyes checking it at different times; we learned the importance of delegating and having a peer double check your work. Most importantly, we found the joy that we first had when we began the organization.
When we decided to implement self-care into our work day, we were initially nervous and anxious- what if we didn’t have enough time to complete our tasks? What if we miss an important announcement or email? However, once people started setting their time boundaries and taking their breaks, we noticed that we were becoming more productive and efficient; our breaks allowed us to reset and come back stronger. Our work was nearly perfect because we had multiple eyes checking it at different times; we learned the importance of delegating and having a peer double check your work. Most importantly, we found the joy that we first had when we began the organization.
Blog Structure
Blog Structure
In this blog series, we will share the various ways we practice self-care at COVE. Some of these include enjoying our favorite cookies and teas, spending time with our beloved pets and significant others, and staying organized and creative through to-do lists and journals. Each weekly post will reflect different self-care themes, and we will share our stories and experiences with these practices. We will also include journal prompts that help guide us through our week’s self-care reflection, and we hope will help you as well. Our goal is to inspire you to prioritize self-care in whichever way works best for you. Thank you for reading and being part of this adventure!
In this blog series, we will share the various ways we practice self-care at COVE. Some of these include enjoying our favorite cookies and teas, spending time with our beloved pets and significant others, and staying organized and creative through to-do lists and journals. Each weekly post will reflect different self-care themes, and we will share our stories and experiences with these practices. We will also include journal prompts that help guide us through our week’s self-care reflection, and we hope will help you as well. Our goal is to inspire you to prioritize self-care in whichever way works best for you. Thank you for reading and being part of this adventure!
Weekly Journal Prompt:
Weekly Journal Prompt:
How have you practiced self-care this past week?
How have you practiced self-care this past week?
