This page was created for the participants in one of our Climate Conversations. Responses are edited for clarity and anonymity. They represent the personal feelings and opinion of participants around that topic. They are not intended to be used as a source of factual information, they are not fact-checked and there may be errors and inaccuracies.
Where are we with our self-care?
“I struggle with this. I don’t look after myself very much”.
“What I came up with was more distancing than self-care”.
“Coming here is part of my self-care”.
“Organising my time and money and energy and letting things happen means I can have trust in myself to make better decisions”.
“Being in nature makes me feel better, and feel better about the world. But those things are shrinking. I’m worried about not having that mutual care”.
“Philosophy. An approach to life. I’m figuring shit out”.
“Some of it is building boundaries. Thinking about yourself and putting yourself first is important. Not just putting the brakes on. I do too much instead of taking things slowly”.
“Being the best version of yourself. It’s been surface things like washing my hair but it goes deeper”.
“People don’t like it if you’re honest about difficulties”.
“Why can’t we live in a world of love and care?”.
“It’s constantly on my mind because of physical illness. But I’m not sure I’m doing what I ned or how to prioritise”.
“I tend to think I need to look after myself so I can contribute more”.
“I dislike the associations:
- the wellness industry,
- optimism and positivity,
- individual responsibility.”
“It changes: energy levels, seasons and phases”.
“I have a friend who meditates every day”.
“Healthy habits and unhealthy habits. Need to get a balance. Can be inflexible”.
“There are social norms and moral judgements about self-care and good habits. Not being judged negatively”.
What should I be doing for self-care?
“Eat whole foods”.
“Go to bed early.
“Think ‘What do I need to change? How do I want to feel better?’ Then decide”.
“What’s it for?”.
“We do it because we need to restore ourselves for ourselves and the planet”.
“It’s better if it’s not a battle, if it’s a treat”.
“Doing exercise and being outside”.
“Self-care is close to the word selfish”.
“Self-care has been commodified”.
“Alcohol (balance)”.
“Groups – a bit of serenity”.
What do you think or feel at the end of today’s conversation?
“I feel quite uplifted”.
“It’s interesting, everyone has a different angle on it”.
“Self-care is not completely incompatible with living in love and care”.
“I like the response ‘Why can’t we live in a world of love and care?”.
“It makes me feel more like resisting judgy individualistic messages about self-care”.