Writing for Self-Care

When you hear the phrase self-care what words come to mind? I typically think of exercise, meditation, massage, nutrition, or therapy. Certainly, those are specific ways to implement self-care but they fall into larger categories. Self-care is taking care of yourself physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. This means self-care can take many forms beyond what we typically think of. Self-care can also mean attending church, playing a video game, eating ice cream, sky diving, or socializing. Self-care methods are as varied as the individuals on this planet. What looks like self-care for me might feel self-destructive for someone else and vice versa. Here are some ways that I enact self-care and why they represent self-care for me:

• Manicures - I have a condition called dermatillomania. It means my body may be covered in scabs because I can't stop picking at my skin. It is done both consciously and unconsciously. My sister-in-law recommended fake nails because they are useless for picking. So a couple of years ago I went to a nail salon for the first time and got SNS nails done. They make tearing one's skin off nearly impossible. I can't express how much better my self-esteem is when I'm not covered in scabs and have little blood spots dotting my clothes.

  
  

• Massage and Chiropractic - Dealing with Harm OCD and the anxiety, depression, and dermatillomania it has caused for 25 years has done a number on my muscles and posture. A few years ago I was dealing with masses of muscle knots that would never release. I had been in chronic pain for nearly four years and was so locked up I couldn't mop my floors when I finally started seeing a Chiropractor of BioPhysics and a massage therapist. Working in tandem, they've been able to correct my spinal posture and gradually reduce the tension. My rib slips and other pain flare-ups are happening less and less. I feel more energetic and hopeful than I have for a long time.

  
  

• Hiking and Biking - Now that I have less pain and more energy I've been able to enjoy the outdoors a lot more. I love to visit some of the Texas State Parks near me and go hiking and I also like to bike around the neighborhood. The fresh air and sunshine, the sounds of birds and insects is so healing for me.

  
  

• Writing - I find that writing releases pent-up emotion; whether I am journaling or writing stories and poetry. Sometimes a fictional conversation between characters is just what I need to relieve my anxiety. Sometimes a mellow-dramatic poem is created and imbued with my sorrow, joy, or anger. Sometimes I don't understand everything I am feeling or thinking until I start writing. Writing is self-care because it brings self-understanding. If you don't currently write for self-care, I encourage you to try. What you write doesn't have to make sense or follow a pre-determined structure. Just get the words on the page and see how you feel.

Write the poison out of your soul.

Let it mingle with the ink

and bleed onto the slate

of possibility.

Where hope and hate,

fact and fiction,

love and loss,

mystery and misery,

tumble through their alternating acts

on the stage of your perception.

-Summer Owens