Self-Care Is Health Care

Some of us grew up thinking that self-care is out of the norm. We were taught that it took too much time away from our families and work. But nothing can be further from the truth.

My Guide recently came to me in a dream in the form of a loving angel of light. He sat across from me at a table and poured each of us a cup of tea. I really enjoyed this dream, because I had set an intention to get a message from Spirit so that I can help people to feel more fulfilled. I asked what I can do to help people, and my Guide told me to teach people the importance of self-care. I would be doing my part to help people get along better and be more present.

Those of us who grew up with people-pleasing parents may have seen them not being very happy, even miserable. I remember many moons ago sitting in church one Sunday and watching a women, who was head of the children’s ministry, get up and address the church. Her aura was always anything but showing calm energy. She was anxious and looked like she was on the verge of tears. Her husband always looked frazzled and the kids were unkind and craved attention from anyone who would give it to them.

You are a VIP, a very important person so take care with self care. If not you, who? If not now, when? ~ Toni Hawkins

I’m not saying serving in church is a bad thing. Not at all, if that is your calling, by all means follow that path. It absolutely takes a special person to devote much of their time to the church, while trying to raise a family. But we have to cut the cord with the people-pleasing. It is not good for our health, our children and our connections with those who matter most to us. It disconnects us from ourselves.

One cannot pour from an empty cup. You can’t give what you don’t have! Taking time for yourself is healthy. Spending time in solitude is good for you. Making time to enjoy a favorite hobby or listening to relaxing music, lifts your spirit. It renews and recharges you. Taking that time enriches and deepens your connections with those you love and care about.

When we take the time for ourselves, we have more energy. We can give more and we feel a heightened sense of being. We get sick less, we are happier, healthier human beings.

There is an air about people who don’t take their ‘me time.’ They are filled with anxiousness, they are always tired, sometimes sickly looking and prone to angry outbursts and snippy. They just aren’t happy people. People who take time for themselves are calmer, they are grounded and are better listeners too, I’ve found.

Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare ~ Audre Lorde

My guide has come to me in several dreams since and given me more information about self-care. Those of us who want to join the self-care journey can get onto the path to recovery, away from people-pleasing and worry, and all the other negative things that happen when we don’t take time to fill our cups.

Self-care is vital to our well-being says Spirit. So for those of us who were raised to think taking time for ourselves is selfish can unlearn that and know that self-care is actually health care!