Whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual self-care, one thing can be sure: self-care feels different for everybody.
Not too long ago, I was coaching a client who worked in the social services. We were discussing his work/life balance, and he mentioned that he had a pretty active social life. Lucky him, I thought! He and his wife would often get invitations from friends to go out to dinner and other various social events. He shared how tiring it was to have all these social commitments on his calendar because he often felt like he was counseling during his free time. (By the way - I can relate!)
What we realized during coaching was, the invitations he received met the self-care needs of his friends. They were able to nourish their emotional and mental health needs by picking my client's brain over a tapas! The friends left the outings feeling recharged and restored while my client left feeling burnt-out.
Self-care is a journey of self-discovery!
I asked my client to share what a great day-off would look like for him. He said, watching basketball, enjoying a relaxing walk in the park, or visiting his favorite coffee shop. We realized that for him to feel restored, he wanted to withdraw, not connect.
So my question to you is, how can you relate?
Do you have different self-care needs than your partner or friends?
How have your self-care needs changed throughout the years?
Share in the comments or on Facebook.