What exactly is self-care? Is it being selfish, thinking of only yourself? Hmmm, maybe. So, I decided to look into this notion.
There were many articles online. Many have written and blogged about it. Here’s one that I particularly liked: “Actually, self-care is done with the intention of caring for yourself, not with the intention to harm or take from others. Being selfish means there's a desire to take from others, often to their detriment. However, self-care is about replenishing your resources without depleting someone else's.”
Perhaps one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in the last 4 weeks of our Brain Health Solutions “Fridays-At-The Ivey” workshops is why self-care is critical for the optimum running of our engine, the brain. So far, we have learned about how and why to sleep well, eat healthy, and exercise. Next up will be a deep dive into physical movement, mindfulness, and life-long learning.
Really and truly, this 12-week course in self-care is much more than an indulgent hot bubble bath. It is about tending to the needs of BOTH body and mind. We are all so busy with work and life that we forget to listen to ourselves. Our body does talk to us! It’s really never too late to listen to ourselves and begin a self-care journey.
For me, prioritizing my own well-being is transformative. Because I feel more physically and emotionally recharged, I’ve actually surprised myself with how easily I’ve been able to adopt many best lifestyle practices for brain health. And it seems that I’m not alone – just last Friday, one of our workshop attendees exclaimed she felt more energetic from the workshops, even though we are only halfway through them! Her very busy job of counseling others left little “me” time, so she made a deliberate choice to take the time to do something good for herself. Sometimes, the hardest part is making the choice.
If choosing for you is hard to swallow, do it for your brain so it will treat you well over the course of your glorious lifetime!
Will you make that choice? On behalf of The Ivey, I hope you say yes…and I’ll see you next year in our Brain Health Solutions Fridays-At-The Ivey workshops. Coming soon to our website (www.theivey.com ) is the 2022 calendar of workshops!
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