In a world dominated by consumerism, the concept of self-care has become increasingly commercialized, often reduced to a list of products to buy or services to indulge in. However, the true purpose of self-care transcends materialistic pursuits. Looking at self-care through a decommercialized lens allows us to shift in our approach towards nurturing ourselves. Let’s explore some ways to practice self-care without bending to the will of consumerism.
Financial Self-Care
One crucial aspect of self-care often overlooked is financial self-care. With ads being everywhere from social media to billboards, there’s immense pressure to spend, spend, spend. This is where financial self-care comes in. Financial self-care means giving your pocket an honest look and forming habits that help you reach your financial goals. Here are a few ways to practice financial self-care.
Tracking Spending: Understanding where your money goes is essential for making informed financial decisions.
Creating Financial Goals: Setting realistic and achievable financial goals can provide a sense of direction and purpose.
Setting a Budget and Sticking to It: Establishing a budget that aligns with your financial goals and adhering to it fosters a sense of financial security and control.
Social Self Care
Socializing can be exhausting. Between work events, making time for friends, and penciling in time for friends and family, it’s easy to forget to make time to recharge your social battery. By regularly practicing social self-care, you can create quality social connections with others as well as yourself. Here are some examples of social self-care.
Checking in with Your Social Battery: Recognizing when you need solitude and when you crave social interaction is vital for maintaining emotional equilibrium.
Saying No to Social Events When Necessary: Learning to decline social engagements when you need time for yourself is an essential part of setting healthy boundaries.
Taking Breaks from Social Media: Detoxing from the constant online chatter can help foster meaningful, in-person connections and reduce the pressure to conform to social media-driven lifestyles.
Emotional Self Care
Many of us have been taught to dismiss our emotions instead of processing them but when we don’t deal with our emotions, they deal with us. Emotional self-care involves nurturing oneself from within and fostering a healthy relationship with one’s emotions. Some ways you can improve your relationship with your emotions include:
Setting and Sticking to Boundaries: Establishing emotional boundaries is crucial for protecting your mental and emotional well-being.
Practicing Mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness allows you to be present in the moment, acknowledge your emotions, and respond to them in a constructive manner.
Leaning on Your Support Network: As Black women it’s easy for us to bear the burden of hardship by ourselves. Leaning on our systems of support can be difficult at first, but it can be the difference between burning ourselves out and getting the support we need.
Self Care with Food
Fad diets, pressure from society, and comments from family members all have the power to shape our relationship with food. In order to properly nourish ourselves, we have to take a look at how all of those factors show up in how we nourish ourselves. Try some of the following to evaluate and improve your relationship with food:
Reflecting on Your Upbringing: Understanding the cultural and societal influences shaping your relationship with food can help foster a healthier approach to eating.
Eating Regular Meals: Cultivating a habit of regular, balanced meals can provide stability and nourishment for both the body and mind.
Feeding Your Body and Your Soul: Emphasizing the importance of enjoying food that not only satisfies physical hunger but also brings joy and nourishment to your soul is crucial for fostering a healthy relationship with food.
Final Thoughts
Decommercializing self-care is task that requires a conscious effort. By focusing on your self-care outside trendy groom products, you’ll be able to develop a sustainable and holistic self-care practice.
