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Nurturing for the New Year
Self-care is neither selfish nor self-indulgent – we cannot nurture others from a dry well, so it’s vital that we take care of our own needs first.
When we nurture others from a place of fullness or abundance, we feel renewed, not drained or taken advantage of. They, too, feel renewed, instead of guilty for imposing, or for taking up our time and energy.
The winter is meant for hibernation – a time of self-reflection and some introspection – and all creatures crave comfort. It’s that safe feeling we get from lying in bed, watching the rain fall, knowing that we don’t have to go out of the house if we don’t want to. Comfort is also that feeling we get when you talk openly to your partner or close friend. Comfort is a place of sanctuary, where you re-charge yourself for upcoming or ongoing struggles and the challenges you may need to face while doing all that inner work on your personal growth.
Self-nurturing is having the courage to pay attention to your own needs. It means empowering yourself to stretch and fulfil a goal. It’s a celebration that we sometimes forget to enjoy when times are tough: it’s that vital ingredient of life – taking the time to applaud being alive.
Nurturing has proved more essential than ever for my family this new year – we are all learning, first hand, that true self-care means complete self-acceptance. Warts and all, it begins and ends with accepting ourselves as vulnerable human beings, with our own idiosyncratic ways of coping.
Recognising that we cannot demand sustenance and happiness from others for our own well-being, the revelation is that healthy self-care comes from the freedom to choose and direct our own lives.
As we move through the first few weeks of 2019, my hope for this year is that true comfort is secured in the lives of all my loved ones; that we give each other time and space to meet our most basic of needs, as well as those more luxurious. With the immeasurable power of love, humour, solitude, nature, music, film, theatre, scents and sensual treats, let’s see what this year brings…..
Much love to you all!