How do you make time for self-care?
Self-care is something very essential. The concept and importance of self-care is something that was very clear in the generation of my grandparents, I look at those old photographs and I can see it right there, at the same age, much more fit and healthy looking, more content, happy.
Yes, people do say that this is a more-polluted time physically and mentally, worse air quality, worse quality of water, people addicted to smartphones, televisions, junk food and the worst of all many exploited in professions and over-worked. Although at the same time I would mention that although slow, there is a rise in people who are focused on self-care, something that had gone down to alarming levels in the past.
The good thing is that it can be done quite easily. Maybe I will never have the good wellbeing of my grandparents but I do tell myself that I can always squeeze better out of life and that is where self-care comes in.
So, what do I understand by self-care? It is taking care of yourself, your physical and mental being. This allows us to sustain energy, positivity, it allows us to find an effective way to channel out our stress. It’s not just exercise, diet and hygiene, there is more, being in a good environment which inspires positivity, having healthy relationships that builds trust and support, and most importantly something that keeps one running ahead despite how dark the faraway clouds may seem.
How do I take time for it? By visualising. One needs to have a clear visualisation of where he/she is heading, that is part of self-care too. For example, you visualise a more fit person you exercise. That is how my system works and like many people know and say, when you truly want something, you take out time no matter what.
Written by Anuran Chatterji
3 responses to “Caring for what matters”
Thank you, Sir, for sharing such a thoughtful perspective on self-care. 🙏
I especially liked your observation about looking at our grandparents’ old photographs and seeing a different kind of wellbeing—not merely physical fitness, but contentment and simplicity.
I completely agree that self-care goes far beyond exercise and diet. Our environment, relationships, thoughts, and even the vision we hold for our future all play an important role
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I really liked how you’ve looked at self-care here not just as exercise, diet or taking some time out for yourself, but as something much broader: the way we build our environment, relationships, mindset and even our vision for the life we want.
And I particularly liked your observation about the older generation. Sometimes we think self-care is a very modern concept, but perhaps they simply practised many parts of it without giving them a name — staying active, having simpler routines, stronger community connections and perhaps a different relationship with time itself.
The part about visualisation also stayed with me. There is something powerful about having a picture of the person you want to become and then making small choices that move you towards that picture.
Maybe self-care isn’t really about creating a perfect life. Perhaps it is simply about refusing to let life deteriorate when we have some choice in the matter and squeezing a little more wellbeing out of whatever life has handed us. 🙂
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Interesting & so important. Thank you.
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