When you sit down and think about where you are on the JOY meter are you hitting right there at a 10, or are you running on empty and coming in close to 0?
I’ve been talking to women who have it all together on paper. Amazing career, beautiful family, highly educated— in short, you’ve got it going on.
When I ask them how they’re actually feeling, those same incredible women are sharing in their moments of truth that they’re:
tired.
overwhelmed.
doing okay but not sure how long they can keep this up.
confused because they seem to have everything they ever wanted and yet still feel…unfulfilled.
And truthfully no magic pill, no self-care routine of taking more bubble baths and lighting a candle is going to fix the problem.
Sure, we might feel better in that fleeting moment. But as soon as we are back on the grind, those same feelings are guaranteed to resurface.
So what’s the answer?
Making a continuous effort to do the things that light us up.
I’m talking about getting outdoors.
Having a creative outlet that we tap into daily, weekly, monthly.
Protecting and prioritizing our mental health.
Exploring our spirituality.
Starting and finishing our passion projects.
And connecting and reconnecting with the people that help us center ourselves.
In today’s world where women of color are constantly told and shown that we have to work twice as hard to have half as much, planning for JOY is a must.
Audre Lorde said “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
It is revolutionary.
And necessary.
All year long we’re on a journey to be revolutionary and BOLD in our self care. But when it’s something new, the first step is making time for it.