We only said goodbye with words, I died a hundred times, you go back to her and I go back to....black
Amy Winehouse lyrics
The above lyrics are taken from singer Amy Winehouse's last studio album. Amy died on 23 July, 2011 at the age of just 27, following years of drugs and alcohol abuse.
As well as remembering her life and legacy in music, her life is also a reminder of just how important it is to make taking care of yourself a priority in life. Self care is not vanity, it is sanity.
Amy's response to her pain was to go back to black. Nothing or no-one on this earth is worth losing your sanity or life over. When everything seems black and hopeless, don't go back to black, go back to life, even if you have to crawl your way back. Always go back to life. It may not be easy, but it's not impossible.
What is self care?
Self care is PERSONAL TO YOU. It is about caring for both your physical body and also your mind/emotional well being and needs. It involves being honest with yourself and looking at what you want or need in order to live a full, healthy and balanced life.
Self care does not mean the absence of problems. It's more about taking care of yourself in the midst of the challenges you face. Self care can be achieved in the smallest ways, FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. You do not have to spend money to take care of yourself, but you have to spend and invest some time.
We live in a very goal oriented society but in between goals and achievement, there is a thing called life and a person called YOU. In trying to achieve anything or become what you dream to become, don't neglect taking care of yourself along the way and enjoying life in the process. 'It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live'- Dumbledore, in Harry Potter. So how about next time you make a "To do List", also try to add a self care activity to your list.
That can never be me
When we look at other people making mistakes or doing crazy stupid things; we can judge them harshly and sometimes even start to think "that can never be me". Addiction for example, is not something that can only happen to other people. Amy Winehouse didn't wake up one day and decided to become an addict. The breakdown of Britney Spears in 2007, anyone remember that? It didn't just happen in one day. None of us wake up one day and decide to make the mistakes we later live to regret or sadly....die from.
Remember Britney in 2007?
"It can happen to all of us"
Take care
Anything can happen to anyone.
Sometimes we are not in control of the negative things that happen to us, but even though it can be hard, we are ALWAYS in control of how we decide to respond. Your response is your power, don't give it away to anyone else. Go back to black or go back to life....It's ultimately up to you.
Make taking care of your mental and emotional health a priority not an option. We eat daily to nourish our body so why not daily take care of our mind also.
There are so many small ways you can practice taking better care of your physical and mental health. Find what works for you. If you are looking for some ideas, see the video below from Les Brown or you can find inspiration with LSW Mind cards who have created tools to help you increase your wellbeing, boost your mood and help you move towards a more fulfilled life.
Les Brown: 8 Steps For Taking Care of Yourself and Being Your Best Self
What are some of the things you do to take care of yourself emotionally? Feel free to leave your comments and share your thoughts!