Beyond Knitting
One Decade of Self Care!
We’ve been talking about self-care for almost ten years here, and longer elsewhere. And it’s still a polarizing term! Whoda thunk it?
Just kidding. Of course it’s still a contested term. It’s a contested idea. Maybe more now than at the dawn of MDK, with the world’s problems becoming ever more pressing.
Which is one reason we’re still talking about it. But self-care is also a simple way to describe a foundational aspect of being an adult in a complex world.
So I’m here again today with our monthly reminder that we can care about multiple things at the same time, and a collection of some of your favorite pieces. Something like a self-care starter kit.
From 2016, the piece that started it all: Self-care: What are we really talking about?
From 2017, 100 free (or very low cost) ways to practice self-care. Never more relevant!
From 2018, Is it Self-Care? Or just aspiration? Good to know the difference, especially if the aspiration in question is not your own.
From 2019, Discovering Your Life Purpose: Is That a … Good Thing? Could it be that just showing up to participate is enough?
From 2020, Self-care: Going Small. Read this one before the holidays.
From 2021, Instead of Resolutions, Just a Word. Wherein we begin our annual journey of the Word of the Year. Something to put on simmer, perhaps.
From 2022, On not keeping up: or, how to not compare our inner selves with the outer presentations of others.
From 2023, Self-care Express: Knitting! Even science agrees it’s good for you.
From 2024, Self Care to Go: useful travel tips. In case you’re heading to Rhinebeck?
Finally, from earlier this year, Memento vivere: self-care in service of our future, older selves.
As always, the comments on these pieces are the real treasure: a cornucopia of smart thinking shared between smart people. So today, below, I’d love it if you want to add anything you’ve learned about self-care in our present moment.
And know I treasure each of you, whether you comment or just read.
Image credit: Merahi metua no Tehamana (detail), Paul Gauguin, 1893, Art Institute of Chicago. Used with permission.
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Thank you for making this anniversary possible, Max! And for the round-up of articles.
Self-care now means monitoring what my eyes, ears, , heart and soul are taking in. To rest often during the day, no matter where I am. There is SO much noise, meanness, tragedies, separation, that it is essential now, for me to continually return to my inner hearth fire.
Oh!! Belly laughs are a must.
You are the best I just read a couple of older ones always inspiring…without preaching so I went swiming after this…then on to knit and pack for a quick trip! Thanks
Congratulations!!!!