Self-care: What it Is. What it Ain’t.

“Put your hands up! Drop the credit cards! Step away from your online cart”

According to Oxford Languages, self-care is “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health,” or “the practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness, especially during periods of stress.”

To maximize our health and well-being, we have to treat self-care holistically. Ignoring that, all parts of us are connected, is working against our goal, caring for ourselves. Holistic self-care rests on these 7 core principles -petals if you will:

7 Petals of Self-care ™

Environmental – Creating order, beauty, and serenity in your physical spaces.

Financial – Respecting your money, planning for your future, and claiming your worth.

Mental/Emotional – Tending to your thoughts, feelings, and inner peace

Physical – Honoring your body with rest, movement, and nourishment.

Professional – Feeding your growth, purpose, and sharpness.

Social – Nurturing the people, boundaries, and community that sustain you.

Spiritual – Rooting yourself in divinity, direction, and depth.

Because each of us is a flower in this Boquet, let’s make sure we all bloom. You don’t want to be the wilted one in the bunch.

You are not spinach!

Now, I know we live in a “treat yo’ self,” “I deserve,” and “another one” kind of world—and sure, there’s a place for that, in moderation.

But if you don’t have a savings account and you just bought a pair of kicks, did a yarn haul, or added another plant to your collection, you’re not really taking care of yourself.

Self-care isn’t overindulgence, ignoring bills, or hiding from loved ones when it gets heavy. 

I see you. 👀

Self-care is hard work - especially for us.

But we do it anyway, and we do it together.

In the upcoming posts, my goal is to balance between sharing tips and my own journey with real self-care.

In the meantime, get your journal and reflect on this:

*What petal is my strongest?

*What petal needs more attention

*What would life look like if I actively cared for my whole self?

*How does my self-care help my community?

*What’s one thing I can do today to care for myself?