Self Care

I felt "off" this morning as I walked into my office. My mind-chatter was chaotic, noisy, and persuasive, and I couldn't concentrate or think clearly, let alone relax. Ironically, one of the things on my mind was an upcoming presentation I am giving on self-care. 

By the time I sat down at my desk, I knew I needed to take a few moments and figure out a way to center myself. I thought of writing something here—like a "process" blog or something—but when nothing came to me, I turned to my old Mental Health for Humans archives for assistance. Lo and behold, I found a link to a great little article entitled, "7 Way to Train the Self-Care Habit," by Elisha Goldstien, Ph.D. (on Twitter @Mindful_Living). 

So that was a boon—and a helpful one: I immediately felt grounded, and much of that pesky mind-chatter fell away. Then my phone's notification asked for my attention: knock knock knock. My master's Alma Mater, the College of Community and Public Affairs at Binghamton University (Twitter: @BinghamtonCCPA) had just tweeted a new faculty blog post entitled, "How Do You Practice Self Care?" 

And with that, I had everything I needed to take care of myself. 

Sometimes it's hard for me to remember that I'm not an island unto myself—that I am, in fact, dependent upon other people and other resources outside myself (including ideas). I suspect many of us struggle in similar fashion. Individualism carries a certain allure, a certain air of romance. But, like most ideas taken to their extreme, individualism can drive a wedge between us and the world of which we are a part, and with which we are interdependent. 

It feels good to have reconnected, and to remember that the connection is a thing to maintain; i.e., it is an ongoing process—and that that's okay!

Thanks for reading.