Self-Care Practices: Rituals for Living Well with Chronic Illness
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare.” — Audre Lorde
The term “self-care” has become a cliché hashtag over the last decade, often eliciting eye rolls with a mental image of someone posed in a swimsuit on a sandy beach, or wrapped in a fluffy spa bathrobe, their face slathered in a goopy mask. While some people might hear this phrase and imagine a pampering sesh, the interpretation from someone who has a chronic illness is quite different.
The concept of self-care dates back to ancient Greek and Roman times, but the modern phrase was actually coined in the medical field. According to physicians, self-care is “a necessary regulatory human function which is under individual control, deliberate and self-initiated.” It’s more about taking proper care of oneself in order to keep the body functioning at optimal levels.
Being an introvert, a highly sensitive person, and having a medical condition that makes it physically impossible for me to deal with any form of stress, self-care is not always as pretty as spending a day at the spa. I tend to get over-stimulated and run down easily, and when this happens, it leads to serious illness and depression. This can happen if I push my body too hard, but there are also emotional…
