When I start to feel overwhelmed by tasks and responsibilities, I remind myself to pause. I ignore that voice in my head telling me that I need to keep getting things done, to keep being a productive member of society. I take a self-compassionate approach.
I can only be productive when I am looking after myself, taking breaks, using my days off as actual days off. When I’m feeling tired, my self-care is netflix and a takeaway. When I’m in a better place, my self-care is gym, a bath, prayer and calligraphy. And all are OK.
True self-care is reminding myself that it’s ok, and doing it guilt-free. Because, as Audre Lorde once said, “self-care is not self-indulgent, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare”.