It’s been a while since I took time to write… maybe even years. Glad to be back. Sometimes we get too busy with life and forget about the small things we do that make life what it is for us. I love to write – but I was too busy making life happen. Or maybe things come around in seasons – maybe I just went through a season where everything else was top priority and writing was on the back burner – who knows? And that’s the beauty of life – seasons!

We are living through a pandemic – that has had all kinds of effects on our lives and who knows what other effects we will discover as the years progress. Sometimes it’s kind of hard to imagine that it has been two years already. The grief, the uncertainty, the loss, the pain – it’s been hard – is still hard and I’m sending warm thoughts, hugs and prayers to you all. We need each other.

Self care is one of those phrases that has made its way onto almost every platform during this ‘panini’ and it is not what you think it is. Self care is not selfish – it is not self-indulgence or even a wickedly self centered thing. Self care simply means looking after yourself, your health, your well being so that you can function fully at your job and when with your loved ones. I don’t know about you, but the level of anxiety and depression since March 2020 in my circles has been phenomenal – it did not leave me untouched.

Through this all, I have learnt that having personal boundaries is a form of self care. For those of us that live in heavily capitalistic societies like the US, jobs can be a high source of stress and I am learning that I need to set boundaries for this as well – I need to turn off my computer and be present at home. Other examples of self-care that people have shared include: eating healthy wholesome meals, having a regular sleeping schedule, physical exercise and sports, hiking, camping (a personal favorite), expressing gratitude + mindfulness as well as indulging in hobbies. My hobbies have proven to be real expensive over the years. Check out one of mine here. But who cares, a hobby is a hobby.

Self-care can look different for everyone, so find those things that work for you – that promote a general sense of health and well being for you. Let me know in the comments what self care routines you have going for you.

*MM*

Changing the narrative. Telling my African story