Self care is the notion that a soul must be tended to or it will wither.  It is this idea that wellness comes from nurturing all parts of one’s complex self. It is the relentless practice of making the time to consider & challenge, create & celebrate to enliven one’s soul and spirit.

According to the dictionary, self care is the act of attending to one’s physical or mental health, generally without medical or other professional consultation.

I love how straightforward that reads. Imagine a wellness intervention that addresses the body, mind, and spirit, but doesn’t require the cumbersome medical system, a big fatty bill, or a slew of aggravating obligations compressing an already hectic day. Sounds glorious, doesn’t it?

Taking a little bit of time to focus solely on one’s self – surely it’s just selfish, right?  Nope, a systematic review of the science doesn’t seem to think so.  Don’t just believe me though,  (it’s always good to be skeptical!), listen to licensed psychologist and advocate for psychological health, Guy Winch explain it more thoughtfully – Why we all need to practice emotional first aid.

I personally came to idea of self care through my therapist, who asked how I might be served by taking 15 minutes of myself each day. I was baffled by the idea. How could I possibly squeeze it in? Then I started dabbling in it. While I’m still not great at the consistency of my practice, I noticed that when I do carve out 15 minutes to practice relentless self care, I feel – fuller – maybe even a little proud that I put myself on the day’s to do list. 

So I got to thinking, what if we all tried to encourage each other to practice 15 minutes of relentless self care? How might we be reminded of the inner parts of ourselves that are passionate and hopeful, hurt or hidden, curious and quashed? Who might we discover if we just took a minute to peek inside – intentionally and meaningfully.

I don’t know, perhaps this all sounds ludicrous or frivolous, but I’m willing to try it. The past few years have kicked my ass, so I’m down for anything that isn’t a gimmick and doesn’t cost me a penny.

Today, and ongoing, I am going to commit to the practice of 15 minutes of relentless self care, and I hope you’ll go for it with me. We can share all about it with grace and humor.