Recently I have noticed that “self-care” seems to be a popular topic, yet I have not seen a consistent definition of the term. Is self-care an activity, an idea, a process, a concept, a lifestyle, an indulgence, or a protest? Is self-care selfish? Is it selfless? Is it self-ful? Is it marketing tool inviting people to try a new product or to indulge in a new experience?

All this can be very confusing, and I don’t have the answers, yet as I pondered this, one thought kept coming back to me was: What is the one thing I would give to myself if I could have anything?

For me that one thing is time. I have found over the years that I have given my time to people and things, yet I did not give enough time to myself. While it has taken a while I have learned to reserve time just for me. Scheduling time on the calendar for myself – refusing to schedule anything for anyone during those barring emergencies. It also means, saying no to over-scheduling and over-booking. It means blocking off daily quiet time to relax and unwind. It also means taking time to access to see if the time I have scheduled for myself works for me and adjusting accordingly.

This has not been an easy task and I don’t always get it right. I have responsibilities that require my attention and presence so those have to be considered. However, I have found that when I find the balance, give myself the time I need, then I am able to better focus on my responsibilities and give them the time they deserve as well.

What do you think?