Self-Care

Whether you're suffering from domestic violence, its lasting effects, or just plain role-overload, you must realize the importance of self-care. This was brought to my attention several times while I was still in the relationship.

The first time it was mentioned to me was while I was a college student. I was repeatedly getting ill. No one knew what I was truly suffering from, but my body reacted quite frequently. One of my professors told me,

You have to take care of yourself, because if you don't no one else will.

Well, duh! 

But it wasn't that simple. I never thought of myself as a separate individual with my own needs. I was completely tied to my situation and my children and I only existed because of it/them. I didn't know that I required any special "maintenance" to keep myself going...oh how far from the truth I was!

Then, my doctor, while screening me for depression (but never inquiring about the ROOT of the depression, oddly enough), set up a self-care plan for me. SHE had to get me to take care of myself. This involved 15 minutes of daily exercise and 15 minutes of self-time.

Yes, I know. It sounds very basic. But it had to be basic, because I was starting from zero; anything more than 15 minutes would have been completely overwhelming--meaning I would be less likely to participate.

And so I began. My exercise involved a brief walk, or sit-ups, or push-ups, or stretching...this is how I got introduced to yoga. My self-time...all I did was commit to taking a bath. A BATH! Yes, I cleaned myself daily (mostly LOL), but it was via a rushed shower. Hell, I barely had time to sit on the toilet, so I would leave the door open just in case I was needed. But a mere bath allowed me to sit, soak, reflect, and plan...