Being an adult means you always have to show up for yourself no matter the circumstance. Showing up to obligations that do not have a pause button. Life will continue to revolve around the moments where you need the axis to slow down or stop, having no consideration for the chaos that you’ve been subjected to. Adulthood is the inevitable position most can’t wait to experience, + while there are multiple perks + benefits to this, responsibilities seem to pile on top of an ever growing mountain of chores when you get to a certain age. This is where taking great care of yourself comes into frame. With all of what life entails, your emotional health is at a vulnerable crossroad. How one fits time to have a job, grocery shop, cook meals, exercise, date, continue education, make time for family + friends, plan trips, maintain your appearance, keep your home clean, walk your dog, drink your water, have a consistent skin care regime, get 8 hours of rest…Lord, I’m exhausted. As daunting as these may seem at times, there is something so satisfying when you’ve crossed something off the list as completed. Not all at once of course, but doing what you can with what you can offer to yourself is the focus + goal. The role of pouring into yourself is a life-long commitment, one that requires self regulation, as well as emotional IQ. Understanding yourself the way others may not be able to so that you can show up for yourself, + then for others. And because we are adults, responsible for ourselves, we may not always have someone to check in on us at the appropriate time or remind us that it’s ok to feel beat up by life’s demands. It’s normal to sometimes feel exhausted + overwhelmed. We aren’t made to always be on the go. Taking care of yourself is not some romantic idea, its a tangible + necessary part of being a human being. When we look at what self care looks like, it appears to be calm + serene, with yoga poses + cucumbers over your eyelids. Real self care looks more like getting in bed by 9pm, putting your phone on silent for a few hours, logging out of social media, talking to your therapist, going for a run, washing your hair, having a cry session, taking the long way home after an exhausting day, holding that cup of comforting tea in your house slippers, wee hours of the morning, in silence + in gratitude. Adulthood + self care, being intentional in the ways you handle yourself, go hand in hand. There are loopholes to living a life of maintained sanity. Keep hold of yourself as best you can + in the moments where you feel yourself coming undone, go to a place where you feel most safe, cared for + protected. This could be a tangible place or a place within yourself, but search for it. Search for it with an urgency amongst the heartbreak, the headache, the hell that you feel yourself succumbing to. Your heart, mind, + body require it. Taking care of yourself is not a reward you’re waiting for or working towards. It comes with you on your journey when you’re born. You just need to unlock that part in you that desires softness, grace, + love. Maybe you’ve never been afforded that luxury growing into adulthood. And yes, it is a luxury because unfortunately, it is a privilege to have a life that is soft + kind to you. As a now adult, you can move the dial + adjust elements to fit the you you want to be, the life you want to experience. You should want to create a life of ease because life is + will have waves of difficulty. This is the Yin and Yang. So make it your life-long commitment to commit to cultivating + nurturing a life that best serves you.
-Chloe Mitchell