Take a look around...
The world doesn’t seem to be in the best shape. We are still in the midst of a pandemic, the world is literally on fire, and our outlook of the future year after year has been up in the air as we grew up from living through one historical event after another.
We as individuals aren’t either. As a bi-product of all of these events taking place, we are bombarded with media giving us the worst-case scenario and fear-mongering, we drift to our phones to distract ourselves while feeding into it, and we have become less compassionate and divided as a society.
The good news is, we can change this, and we already are!
People are starting to wake up to the fact that making themselves a priority is important for a higher quality of life. They’re quitting jobs that drain them and don’t value what they bring to the table. They’re working through traumas and accepting mental health help along the way. They’re figuring out what they truly value, what they want out of this life, and are going after it regardless of the adversity they may face.
As you know, it hasn’t always been like this though…
Outside of philosophy, Self-Care actually began to be recognized in the 1950s when it started to become accepted medically. Doctors needed a way in-between visits for their patients to be able to take care of themselves. This started with simple tasks such as hygiene, a nutrition plan, and physical activity, things to nurture self-worth and promote well-being.
Once that began to work, academia began to pick it up as they were researching PTSD and the effects it had on those coming back from war and with first responders. They realized that vicarious trauma is a very real thing, and in the 1960s, it was recommended for first responders such as nurses, EMTs, police officers, firefighters, therapists, and those in the helping professions because they realized that not only are they experiencing trauma in their line of work but that trauma can also be passed on from person to person.
Then in the 1970s, the whole concept of self-care turned political as it was a time when civil rights and women’s movements were coming to a head. This time shed light on the importance of taking care of oneself as the systems in place were not set up for women or BIPOC. As this was taking place, there was one woman specifically who is really key in the activism of all this, and her name is Audrey Lorde. She was self-described as a black lesbian mother warrior poet, who dedicated her life to working and confronting the injustice of racism, sexism, classism, capitalism, heterosexism, and homophobia. A notable quote from her at the time that best represents this significant era is, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Without a doubt, the concept has expanded drastically since the 70s.
Do we not feel the same? Do we not feel burnt out and overwhelmed? Do we not feel that the systems in place are failing the majority of us? Do we not feel that we have been through an excruciating amount of trauma by living through historical events? Do we not have a generation of those who are helping others no matter the cost?
THIS is why self-care is becoming relevant now… because it has become more of a necessity than ever before. Self-Care is a radical act of claiming your autonomy and your power back. It’s how we navigate everything that is being thrown our way. And in turn, it’s how we heal the world around us collectively.
If you need more self-care tools, support, and/or a community to grow with, join Self-Care Central Here! Self-Care Central is your one-stop-shop for ongoing self-care solutions and we would love to have you join us!
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