The New Old Self-Care

I played the trumpet for 10 years, I was in at least 3 different choirs for 11 years, I wrote poems, short stories, long stories and tried to draw even though I hated everything that came to life on my paper. I took photos, I made short videos, spent hours in photoshop, started a blog, started a creative collective, and now... well now I try to find time to go for a walk.

Is this adulting?

You give up a few things, so you can work, cook your meals, do laundry, see your friends and your family.

In the last few months, I've been restless. I stopped reading, writing, and singing for me years ago. My blog became like a hustle instead of an outlet, so I found myself taking longer and longer timeouts.

So, you would think that with the state of the world right now, I have more time than ever to read, write, sing, write poetry, but no. I’ve barely picked up a book.

What I’ve learned is that even with time, you have to make time. You have to be proactive in this, you can’t write without picking up a pen or a computer keyboard.

I also know that I don’t want to make it a task - read, learn to play the piano, etc. It takes the fun out of it. But at the same time, you will never do anything if you don’t take the first step. I know, I sound like I’m going back and forth. In order to keep this from feeling a chore, my interests.

I’ve grown up, which means the stuff I loved 10 years ago may not be the same today. I’ve taken this time to explore what I think I like and try new things. This website also came back to life after realizing that I’ve always liked writing, being part of a community, and sharing things I love.

I haven’t gotten it all figure out yet, but the exploration of interests has been the best self-care. We can’t do spas, get our nails done right now, go on yoga retreats, but we can use this time to really rediscover what makes us tick.