Is Your Self-care Driven by Meaning Or Marketing?

If stewardship is defined as an ethical value that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources, how can you be a good steward of your energy, your precious, personal resource?  

For me, walking in the woods is meaningful self-care.  When I set foot on the trail, my body relaxes, my breath deepens and my mind clears.  I marvel at the colors of the leaves, flowers, and sky, and the textures of the clouds, the grasses, and tree bark.  Noticing grounds me in the present moment.  The scents of damp soil, astringent ferns, sweet grasses, and pine trees all have phytochemicals that induce relaxation in our bodies and stimulate oxytocin, the hormone of connection.  Yes, science supports my preferred self-care.  When I step off the trail, I feel renewed.  For those who prefer the beach, studies show being at the ocean is the most relaxing place to be.  Inhale deeply that salty air, exhale slowly, tip your face toward the sun, and your toes to the waves.

Meaningful self-care informs stewardship of your energy. It comes from within and is specific to each individual. Meaningful self-care is deeply personal.  

Meaningful self-care is supported by the pillars of Energetic Intelligence, which cultivate an internal state of being or flow.  These skills matter to us personally because they help us navigate the world in a way that holistically feels good to our nervous systems.  Begin to notice what brings you into the present moment, what allows you to release the stresses of the day, what energizes you, and what helps you feel like you.  Awareness informs intentional action.  It shifts self-care meaningfully.

We added meaningful to self-care as a way to distinguish it from commoditized self-care.  Commoditized self-care requires products, like bubble baths, candles, or chocolate, or classes like basket weaving or Bootcamp, and often is characterized by gendered marketing.  We are led to believe if only we could take a bath or a class or pop a piece of chocolate in our mouths all would be well.  And yet, sometimes that seems more stress-producing than relieving. Those things can be really nice, but they might not actually be what your energetic system needs. Gendered marketing leans more heavily toward women, but all humans have a nervous system.  All humans need maintenance, as well as restorative and generative practices.

What does meaningful self-care feel like and look like to you?  What does it mean to care well for your energy?