Do we agree that the term “self-care” has been used quite a lot lately? It’s certainly become quite the buzzword but I do want to emphasize that it doesn’t solely entail face masks, baths, booking a spa day and massages. More importantly, I believe self-care at its core is about prioritizing meditation, reading, writing, introspection, and decompression. Self-care is about healing internally and all starts in the mind.
We live in a time when a lot of people think it’s normal to be working nonstop thus, normalizing a lifestyle defined by lack of sleep and being too busy to eat a proper meal or work out or see loved ones. I know many people who live their life like that. I am also guilty of getting so deep into work that I forget to eat and drink water quite regularly. But life isn’t about that. Life is for living. Have you ever noticed the best moments in life are the ones where you are just purely happy and filled with utter joy? It’s the moments when you feel free and light as a feather, unburdened by daily stressors. Living a fulfilled life includes nurturing yourself by doing something that makes you happy every day and sharing that happiness with others.
I’ll admit (and maybe go into further detail about this in a future post) that this year has been one of the TOUGHEST years of my life. It has rocked me to my core. It has completely altered how I used to identify myself and how I identify myself now. I feel like a snake who has underwent a shedding process; watching as the old cells slowly gather and fall away. It took A LOT to get to this place of being able to tap into my inner calm and inner peace, to quiet the turmoil and incessant noise in my mind. I’ll share more on how I got here. But this digital detox certainly made an impact for the better.
It’s been (and still is) a work in progress. Every day is a new opportunity to try better and find that balance. The more candid conversations I have with my peers, the more I realize we are all just striving to find a balance that works for us, as individuals, in order to feel recharged, not continuously burnt out. But how to achieve that balance?
One way to achieve more balanced energy levels and lifestyle is to
U N P L U G
This past week, my significant other and I went upstate to a dream Airbnb treehouse cabin. As an interior stylist and after having gone through two full house renovations myself, there was so much to admire about this home. Aside from enjoying the aesthetics and exploring a new town neither of us have been to, the point of the trip was to unplug, to take a digital detox.
There was no cell service at the house. It would be another 10-15 minute drive until we could reach any service. Wifi was only available if we walked to their main house on the property but we weren’t tempted, even when we couldn’t exactly remember the rules to play Go Fish. We just went along with it. We put on music via a record player, cooked for each other, and literally sat and watched the fire he made in the wood burning stove. We played War and Go Fish because those were the only games we remembered how to play. We cuddled, talked, and laughed over the silliest things. It was simple, uncomplicated, and utterly relaxing. I strongly believe we were the most relaxed we had ever been because we were truly disconnected from the world and fully living in the moment.
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