People throwing around the words "self-care" as if it doesn't hold a significant amount of weight. Like it's something you do only on a Friday or Saturday night if nothing else is jumping. As if caring for yourself only involves facials, manicures and wine night with the girlies. And yes, this is a part of caring for oneself, but wouldn't you consider this self-preservation versus self-care?
One could argue this.
First, let's identify the differences in nature, starting with self -care. Self-care, in my own opinion, is an intentional act that serves your highest self. From meditation, to journaling, to breathwork, yoga, therapy, annual doctor visits, to days or nights of solitude, pillow conversations with bae or "spiritual baths".
These are all forms of self-care that ultimately serves your past, present and future self. Involving mental and emotional balance, physical fortitude and spiritual rejuvenation.
Grooming clearer thoughts, healthier habits, a sense of worth and value. Self-care to me goes way beyond your nail appointment and night out at the club. Yes, we all need time to tap out of serious business and responsible life roles to feel alive and curve the mundane. But this is more of self-preservation vs. caring truly for oneself.
Self-care deals with the unseen, your private habits and routines that either add or take away from your journey. It's an intentional act that you choose daily despite how you're feeling. Self-care is self-love, kindness, grace, and sacred.
Self-Preservation from my understanding can be both seen and unseen. But it involves more of the "outer world". For example, shopping for clothes, getting your hair shampooed and styled, booking a massage appointment, or buying better teeth, or enhancing your body through cosmetic surgery. It's a way you move in certain situations based upon what's right or beneficial for one's own life or opportunity at the moment.
Self-Preservation can include "spiritual growth" if one is open to grow and activate certain parts of themselves to even see they need to grow!
But generally, it's the aesthetic and/or materialistic parts that 9 out of 10 people gravitate towards when they think of preservation; and then confuse it with self-care. However, both are needed to achieve a well-balanced living experience.
I honestly believe that the whole "woke" culture and the "hi-jacking" of "what spirituality is" has impacted how we think of both self-care and self-preservation. You have some women who think being sexually liberated, trotting all over IG naked is self-preservation. And you have some men who think buying a fifth of alcohol is self-care. It truly is perspective, and where a person is and how they view themselves...
But for the sake of clarity, they are not the same. They make look similar and have similar characteristics, but for the reasons stated above, must be looked at and examined to really understand which is which. In all, self-preservation and self-care are two modalities that include diet, routine, attention to detail, behavior and desire. Watching what we eat, use, listen to, give our energy to and how we survive/thrive in this reality.
So be mindful and become "whole" by doing both. It's a New Year upon us, so that means we must double down on our moving forward to sustain, preserve and care for ourselves.
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