"I used to think self-care was limited to face masks and bubble baths... boy was I wrong. Over the last year, I have learnt skills such as meditation and journaling - which I find to be such a deep level of self-care."
Edie is the founder of the Instagram page @themoodlibrary. Through recovering from an eating disorder, she found herself immersed in a world of self-care and personal development to aid her recovery and optimise her life. On her account she likes to share her tips and tricks concerning personal growth, following your passions and living a healthy life.
What does self-care mean to you?
To me, self-care is such a broad term. But I think truly listening to what my mind, body and soul needs is vital. I think often on social media, types of activities are demonised for being ‘unproductive’ or ‘useless’, when in fact they do serve a crucial purpose when it comes to self-care.
Take TV for example, often we hear ‘influencers’ claiming they stay away from it etc, but if that is what you need to heal your mind after a long day, that is what you should do - without guilt.
Has your perception of self-care changed in the last year?
YES. I used to think self-care was limited to face masks and bubble baths... boy was I wrong. Over the last year, I have learnt skills such as meditation and journaling - which I find to be such a deep level of self-care.
I also used to think self-care needed to have huge amounts of time dedicated towards it - thinking I had to set aside at least one day for self-care, but recently I have discovered that it’s probably better to just incorporate self care rituals into my day in small, but regular chunks.
What are some misconceptions around self-care?
There are way too many misconceptions it’s hard to know where to start! I think primarily the fact that people resist engaging in self-care activities because they believe it to be ‘selfish’. This is so far from the truth!
In fact, I think the completely opposite - if I am taking time for myself to heal and recuperate, then I have more energy and determination to help others throughout my day! You can’t fill from an empty cup!
I also wish more people were aware of the deeper levels of self-care! Yes face masks and bubble baths do serve a purpose (and I am the first person to say I love them!) but also exploring meditation, visualisation and reading has been so transformative!
What are some of your favourite self-caring activities?
Meditating every morning has changed my life in so many ways - relationships, confidence, body image, my relationship with food and even achieving my goals!
I also think reading is so important for widening your perspective and learning new things. But as much as I love my meditation and exercise in terms of making my happier and more energised, I also think it is so important to master the basics - hydrating, eating a balanced diet, taking your meds (if necessary), going to therapy if it works for you, getting outside and getting enough sleep. Oh and putting away the phone!
How do you make sure you are regularly prioritising self-care?
Little and often! Building habits surrounding self-care has been to powerful for me, and allowing it to change from a few habits into a full-blown lifestyle. On days when I really don’t feel up to meditation or exercise (the things that make me feel so good) - I make myself so it, reminding myself of how good it feels afterwards!
Why is it so important to keep going even when you are feeling better in yourself?
If you can go from feeling really low to feeling a lot better, think about how good you can feel in a year, 5 years, 10 years. Self-care and bettering yourself is an endless process, giving up when you feel ‘better’ may seem like the right thing to do, but you don’t know what could set you back in the future, and having a consistent self-care routine is vital for keeping balance and care in your life.