Birthday Reflections: This is 29
I used to think self-care meant letting myself do whatever felt good in the moment - like mindlessly eating junk food while watching Netflix for hours. These activities may have brought some short-term satisfaction, but they didn’t leave me feeling refreshed. This usually left me feeling bad about myself. That’s not self-care.
I’ve come to learn that self-care is more like giving yourself a big bear hug. It’s about being there for yourself and being compassionate to yourself. It’s not beating yourself up when you make a mistake.
Self-care is about building yourself up. It’s giving space to your thoughts and emotions. It’s about investing time alone and knowing it’s worth it. It’s knowing YOU are worth it.
I celebrated my 29th birthday on Friday and celebrated over the weekend with my love. We slept in, brunched, had dinner and martinis at my fav Italian spot, watched movies, and drank champagne. It was the perfect little weekend with my best friend. I treated myself to some little luxuries that I can enjoy each day as part of my self-care routine. This candle from P.F. Candle Co., some body oil from Eir NYC, and the best smelling hand cream from Grown Alchemist are all quality products that give me a little bit of happiness.
It seems like most people are afraid of getting older, but it's something I've always looked forward to. Aging has given me the opportunity to grow and understand myself better. It's allowed me to be stronger and unafraid to embrace who I am and what I'm passionate about. It took me ten years to get here and I don't regret a thing because the person I was back then wasn't strong enough to do this. It took a ton of work and soul searching, but here I am.
That's why I don’t dread getting older. Being brave enough to pursue what makes your heart happy. Making peace with each season of life. Appreciating the person you are now and how different that might be from the person you thought you would be. Learning that change can be the best thing. Learning to love yourself. Learning to fight for yourself. What’s so bad about that?