Are You Overpacking Your Self-Care Routine?
Are you overpacking your self-care routine? I don’t think we ask ourselves this question enough. I’m editing an interview I did with Rainesford Stauffer, author of An Ordinary Age, and it’s one of the main topics we discussed. The economy around personal development has become so fruitful that everyone from big brands to smaller influencers (like me) are conscious of how much money comes in and out of pushing products, or lifestyle choices, or a routine that honestly may not really make sense for your real life.
I’m incredibly aware that the lines between self-care and consumerism are overlapping more than they ever have. It’s prompted me to revisit how and what I share with my community. I choose to embrace a less is more approach in my own life because less is more manageable, more intentional, and less driven by the comparison game. I rotate what my “less” is regularly because I’m always trying new things and that’s the process I’ve chosen to share with you all.
It’s why I ask — are you overpacking your self-care routine? And if you are…why?
If it brings you joy and you’re thriving with your current routine, please continue to cultivate it because it’s working for you. But, if it isn’t and you’re overwhelmed by the number of things you’re “supposed” to be doing in order to be a “fully self-cared” human — I want to cut you some slack. There are no “fully self-cared” humans.
I try to drink enough water to keep me hydrated because I see how being dehydrated impacts my sinuses, which impacts my mood, which makes me feel less energized, which triggers my anxiety. But, drinking enough water doesn’t mean I arrive at a destination where I no longer need to contribute to my self-care anymore, this would be impossible. The circumstances of my life ebb and flow the way they do in anyone else’s life. This means that the more I pay attention to the ebbs and flows the more I have to ebb and flow with them in order to maintain my emotional well-being.
Front-loading my mental wellness routine early in the morning doesn’t mean that come a mid-afternoon dip I’ll be able to bypass it without impact to my mood or well-being. Admittedly, if I’ve had a good day at caring for myself thus far, I may not be as gut punched by a dip, but I’ll still be impacted some.
There’s an ideal we get sold that self-care has a right or wrong way and that if we’re doing it “right” we’ll arrive at a level of untouchable perfection that can’t be shaken by anything. If you find yourself overpacking your self-care routine in an effort to reach an unbothered state of being or to keep up with others idea of self-care and wellness, take a beat to ask yourself some hard questions.
Why do I think stacking so many habits will help me?
Are the habits I’m stacking actually helping me as of right now?
What habits have moved the needle for me?
Can I do less and still feel good about myself?
Self-care is such a personal journey. It’s okay (and expected) if your routine looks different than mine.