Laura Wieck :: SELF-CARE, REDEFINED
What is it exactly? How do you practice it? What does it actually mean? Truth be told, I don’t have a self-care ‘routine’. I know, I know… this whole magazine… my whole business... is about redefining self-care! How can I not have a self-care ‘routine’?! Honestly, that is exactly why I want to have this conversation. From what I see on social media and what I hear from my clients, self-care has become another buzzword. It’s become another thing to check off your ‘to do list’. It’s become pictures of perfectly manicured nails, sitting on the beach or on a yoga mat, with a green smoothie, and a self-help book in hand. It’s another item to check off a ‘to do’ list that, for some people, causes more stress than relief. And if we’re really honest about it… ‘self-care,’ as we see it on social media, has become a luxury for primarily upper-middle class, white women that we’re all supposed to compare ourselves to. Yes… I love to drink my bulletproof coffee while journaling about my vision. I enjoy moments of solitude where I feel into my breath and connect to the world around me. I take long walks with my dogs to ground myself. I create spaciousness in my calendar so
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elf-care. It’s been on my mind lately.
I don’t fall into the trap of being ‘busy’. My work is filled with purpose and my mission drives to make an impact in the world. I cook healthy foods and enjoy how they energize my body. The thing is… this isn’t my ‘selfcare routine’. This is my LIFE. Personally, I believe people struggle so much with ‘self-care’ because it is used as a band-aid to cover the true issue that is happening... disconnection. Think about that for a minute. If you need ‘self-care’ to ‘reconnect to yourself/your life,’ then that means your life itself is rooted in disconnection. Is that really the life you want to be living? As we have discussed throughout this issue, true self-care is a radical rebellion. It is having difficult conversations. It is setting boundaries. It is honoring your body and living in tune with nature. True self-care is living a life rooted in connection. And in order to be connected to others — family, friends, colleagues, your community, and the world — you must first live in a state of deep connection within yourself. That means putting yourself at the center of your life, fully honoring your natural gifts, receiving abundantly for who you are, and intentionally creating a lifestyle that supports you.
