“SELF-care, I’m treatin’ me right” are some of the lyrics to the song ‘Self-care’ by Mac Miller. That song was released on July 31, 2018. On September 7, 2018, Mac was found dead due to an overdose from drugs. While a column piece on drug abuse is long overdue from me, I think the term ‘self-care’ is the first stepping stone before I write on that. Self-care is a broad term that basically includes any good thing you do to or for yourself. A point to note is that not all that glitters is gold; not because it feels or looks good means it is. Just Like Mac Miller, drugs perhaps were his ‘self-care’. We need to differentiate between what is actually good for us and what is not.

While some search for healthy coping mechanisms, there are many who live by the saying, “We’re here for a good time not a long time.” That is, either way, we have to die, so why waste time behind trying to be healthy? My response to that is that we have to be mindful that who we are and how we live also affects those closest around us (the people who love and care for us) and even if you think someone does not love you or care, you’re wrong. Our jobs, studies, families and other life commitments often take up our time and we forget to take care of ourselves. Re-read the last sentence, we ‘forget’ to take care of ourselves. HOW? If we fail to, then there will come a point in time where we’ll be burned out (lack of energy, enthusiasm, frustration). In the field of social work, there are many courses and subtopics that teach prospective social workers that they need to help themselves, explore unresolved issues and their true selves before they even think to help others. We can put that same context in our everyday lives before we attend to the needs and wants of others. Self-care is not selfish.
Some examples of self-care include eating healthy, sleeping regularly, exercising, going on vacations when needed and scheduling time in your daily/weekly schedule for self-care activities. Try it and I promise you will see improvements with your self-esteem, confidence, levels of stress, increase self-awareness/knowledge and finally, you’ll be better able to help others. You will have more to give, more of yourself.

“I helped myself.
wiped my own tears.
put balm over fresh wounds.
plastered parts of my heart that
were still hurting.
Gave myself time.
read books that soothed my soul.
heard music that calmed my nerves.
watched movies that made me smile.
bit by bit. Piece by piece. I put
myself back together again.
and I gave myself a second chance.
because I knew that if I didn’t
then no one else would.

Above, is a poem that was written by Ruby Dhal. She expressed her methods of self-care and I hope you can take heed and find your own. All in all, I was a big fan of Mac Miller and it was and still is tragic to think about how his life ended. He is no different from any of us as we all face our inner demons every day and we find ways to cope. All I’m asking is to find healthy, beneficial ways to deal with yourself and your problems; all I’m asking you to do is to take care of yourself.

Pictures:
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