I woke up to frivolous self care.
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I practice blackout hours9 p.m. to 9 a.m.when I do not take calls or respond to messages.
I try not to impact the environment negatively and live as close to natural as possible.
And until February, that was the extent of my self-care practice.
It was low-cost and holistic, all about boundaries and balance.
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But then the COVID-19 crisis changed everything.
Work life collapsed into home life.
Social justice, my field of work, became a part of every conversation.Sleep schedulesgot interrupted.
And my daily self-care practices no longer felt sufficient.
Thats when I found myself justifying all sorts of things I used to consider frivolous.
For years, I ignored people who bought, and sung the praises of, numerous beauty products.
Lately, though, I have been more attentive.
I even use a foot scrub.
I take my time, rinse it off, and then pat dry.
It doesnt matter if no one else noticesI can see and feel the results.
And dont I deserve softness?
My hair has also become a big part of my self-care routine.
Im still not sure how it happened, but here I am with an actual hair-care routine.
Its a time that I dont think about anything else.
This new routine is easy, practical, and gives me a better understanding ofand connection tomy hair.
And dont Ideserve ease?
Its a time that I dont think about anything else.
Ive also been spending a lot of time on the phone in recent months.
I dont think I have talked to family members or friends this much since I was away for university.
I talk to my grandaunt for hours aboutgardening.
When I talk to my brother, we trade stories about our parents.
We talk and talk and talk.
And dont I deserve belonging?
As my time at home now comes in longer stretches, Ive also been paying attention to my surroundings.
Outside, I have rosemary, sage, Spanish thyme, and a number of other plants.
I even have petunias in a pot on my patio.
Surprisingly, the flowers have become a bright spot, and the burst of color has been uplifting.
As they grow leggy and less vibrant, I am thinking about my next flowering-plant purchase.
I have learned that a little color can go a long way.
And dont I deserve beauty?
I have come to realize that I may need something new one week that I didnt the last.
Dont we all deserve that?
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