Me, Myself and I........

Aug 31

Aug 31 Me, Myself and I........

A few nights ago as I lay in bed and somewhere between drifting and sleep I remember vaguely thinking....... am I self obsessed???..............I would ordinarily never even have remembered this thought that occupied my mind just before deep sleep caught me in its clutches. However, I happened to be absentmindedly watching my daughter the following morning pouting and posting on snap chat and it hit me like a hammer shattering glass..........Do we live in a world of self obsession and is that very obsession making us ill........

Take time out to have a cup of "Self Care" X

Its a world full of political correctness , well being and mindfulness . With an obsession for healthy eating , dieting and social media perfection are we actually slowly allowing the relentless quest for the "best version of us " to become the death of us............

If I were to pinpoint any term or phrase that we encompass in 2017 it would be the expression SELF CARE...........What exactly is this term and how does it affect us emotionally and physically? Well the first thing I did was to find the exact google definition of this new millennium concept of looking after Number One........

The wikipedia definition of "Self Care" is "any necessary human function which is under individual control, deliberate and self-initiated". So, day to day functioning as a human which automatically includes caring for the "Self". On a deeper level Self Care also includes caring and nurturing the mind as well as the physical. This can be achieved through a variety of ways and the method is usually an individual preference. Mindful care can usually be improved upon through exercise, meditation and a variety of relaxing techniques etc.

However , another type of Self Care is that of caring for "Me ,Myself and I" in an over indulgent and narasisstic way. By this I mean we can mis-interpret the concept of true Self Care and when we do it ultimately ends in our unhappiness.

How many times I have used the expression "I treated myself" to this or that.The answer ........too, too many times......... How many times have I said "if I had that make up item or that dress it would make me so much better and happier" . I would be more popular on social media if I were thinner or more toned or had nicer hair.......... All these things in 2017 are achievable even if you weren't blessed with luscious locks or an amazing bone structure... You can basically buy or enhance anything you want to change the way you look in order to be happier and all in the pursuit of "Self Care".

Self Care in itself is a good thing but it can very quickly be mis-construed into something quite different and can become a demon that can quickly grow and not Self Care but Self Destruct........... I've been there and I've also stopped.........

Stopped what you may ask?...................Stopped becoming self-obsessed and using the excuse that it was under the guise of "Self Care".........Because it was most definitely not and only made me unhappy in the long term..... Through my mis-conception of the true meaning of Self Care I was actually making myself unwell.

The pursuit of being your "Best Self" is best left to the people who truly know the intended concept of the expression. My interpretation of this expression is that I need to pursue what ever it takes to improve the quality of my daily life and the quality of those I love around me to the best of my ability. I include the people that I love in my life and that also care and love me as without these people I would be unable to be my "Best Self" emotionally.

It is a lot easier to find and care for yourself on a physical level. We all know how to do this. We're encouraged to eat well, sleep enough and exercise etc. The choice is ours and what we choose is up to us. However, its the emotional self that really controls the physical being and to be truly motivated to Self Care for the physical self we need to be in a contented and calm place emotionally.

Self Care of the mind is perhaps the hardest challenge for most of us in this highly charged and swiftly changing millennium world. Letting go of the pressures that we carry around like unnecessary baggage and being happy to do so is a life skill that most of us are still trying to accomplish. I for one struggle with this constantly. I feel "Naked " if I don't own a lot of "Stuff". Others feel the same struggle if they don't have the correct or up-to-date make up range, or have failed to take another fab photo of their pouting mouth for the thousandth time..........

Whatever our age we all feel the same pressures and fears and drift from the true concept of Self Care. We all need time to "Self Love" and by that I don't mean go out and treat ourselves to a thousand euro handbag......... I mean to truly "Self Love" by giving ourselves a "break". By saying to ourselves .......Fuck it...... I don't need to look like perfection everyday........I don't need to self- obsess over not doing a hundred press-ups... or following my paleo diet.

For me this post has been a reflection of my thoughts and fears in relation to myself and the world around me. I am going to take care of "Me" a lot more. By this I mean I'm going to give in to the true person I am . I'm not going to pretend to be something I'm not. If I'm unsure of who I am then I'm going to make sure I learn a lot more about myself. I'm going to do this by spending more time with the people I love and taking time out to chat with my neighbours and fill my lungs with fresh air . None of these things I'm going to do because I have to but because I want to..

Don't get me wrong, I'll still be exercising and eating the best way I can to pursue as healthy a life as I can. However, I'll also be listening to the birds and taking time to take in all the beauty in the world and strolling (instead of running) from time to time and playing with my dog....These ordinary simple pleasures are the best way I know how to truly "Self Care"..........

In conclusion to my post I hope you all find the simple stuff in life that make you happy again if you've lost your way .....Remember ............that thousand euro bag is just a piece of leather with someones name on it......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lots of Love XXX VIOLINKIT