Emotional Support Sisters

I recently got my first hair cut by a professional in over a year, and the first time I’ve had it colored in over 5 years. It felt great to get pampered and do something for myself. Why did it take me so long? One is financial. I don’t feel justified in spending so much money on my appearance when we have other more important things to purchase. The other reason is that sometimes I don’t even have the energy to take care of the basics. Some days all I’m up to doing is taking a shower and a nap when my daughter naps. So what’s the point of paying for my hair? Self care. That’s the point (and I am happy to report that I am more motivated to do my hair now that I have a good cut and color).

My self-care has morphed over the years. When I was younger I had more energy and less responsibilities, so self-care looked like painting my toenails, taking time to make sure I look my best, hanging out with friends, listening to music, and watching tv.

I still enjoy most of those things, but in different doses. It’s all about the cost-benefit ratio for me now. I am often subconsciously calculating how much work/energy is it going to take vs how beneficial the self care will be to me. I hardly paint my toenails anymore because it feels like too much work. I’m not a fan of folding myself in half for 20 minutes for pretty toes on a regular basis. I still like looking nice, but it’s not as big of a priority. 

I enjoy hanging out with friends, but less frequently. It takes time and energy to figure out when and where, and now I have a kid to haul around. It also takes time and energy away from keeping my household going.

I now prefer listening to podcasts over music, usually while doing something productive, and I fold laundry while I watch tv.

If all of the previous things I’ve listed don’t make me sound old and boring, just keep reading. I think I’m officially old because I now enjoy things like browsing at Costco with my husband, going to a store by myself, taking a soak in the bath after my daughter has gone to bed, napping when I can, coming up with home improvement solutions, and living in a clean house. 

One aspect of self-care that I have always struggled with is exercise. It has been hard to find what I enjoy and can do daily. Last year I started doing a program called Get Mom Strong. I loved it, but then I got a puppy and summer came so I didn’t have time or energy to do it anymore. Now things have calmed down and I just need to set the time aside again. What exercise do you enjoy? Asking for a friend 😉

What do you do for self-care? How has it evolved over time?

– Rae