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Nurture Yourself
A Wellness Corner Blog Post By NRCDV’s Wellness Warriors
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation.” –Audre Lorde
As advocates and activists, we tend to celebrate the value of self-care, but often find the reality of actually taking a step back to tend to our own needs difficult to accomplish.
While so much self-care advice centers on addressing basic physical needs like sleeping enough or staying hydrated, our wellness practice needs to go further. We need to truly nurture and connect with ourselves.
For some of us, the idea of self-nurturing can feel overwhelming and perhaps even a little selfish. How do we find the time to nurture ourselves when we barely manage to make time for adequate sleep? How can we talk about nurturing ourselves when there is still so much work to do? But if we do not foster wellness in our bodies and minds, how can we give our best, fullest selves to our work?
Take heart: self-nurturing doesn’t always have to consist of long beach vacations and days at the spa (although those are certainly valuable self-nurturing tools!). Here are a few simple ways to nurture and reconnect with yourself throughout your day:- Wear clothes that make you feel comfortable, or joyful, or strong
- Take a break: go for a walk, sit in the sun, make some tea, watch a funny video
- Listen to music
- Read a few inspirational quotes
- Drive with the windows down
- Connect to a dear friend
For more ideas on how to nurture yourself and foster wellness, see this Tips for Vitality and Serenity sheet from the University of Buffalo School of Social Work’s Self-Care Starter Kit.
#WellnessCorner
