This thought hit me the other day when I saw a post on Facebook from the MarieClaire page.
They had this image posted with this text:
“Nobody wants to hear that some well to do, well-paid actress is having a self care day,” says #SarahJessicaParker. “I find it tone deaf.”
The actress has strong convictions about beauty—but not in the way you might think. Here, the #AJLT star chats with Marie Claire about her attitude toward wellness, the toxic nature of self-care as a societal construct, and more: https://trib.al/qVuBVHh
I was so intrigued I went strait on to read the full article.
An interesting read for sure and if you are a fan of SJP, no doubt you will love a little insight to her daily life.
She did however have a strong view on selfcare which surprised me but also made me re-consider my own opinion on the subject.
I have always found selfcare a must. At times in my life when I was struggling, looking back, it was evident that my selfcare had gone out the window and that it didn't help the situation.
However I see where SJP is coming from.
Coming from a so called "rich and privileged" celebrity, it may seem a little tone deaf. We have this image in our heads about celebrities and there is not a lot of people left in the world who don't know who the Kardashians are and the privilege they ooze and portray on tv and social media.
They do seem to set the standard.. with a bar so high that "normal" people will never be able to even see the bar from reality!
But does that make selfcare for the rest of us a privilege? Many times in my life I have been left frustrated when someone told me just to do so and so and id feel better. But sometimes getting even a moments headspace to consider selfcare seemed impossible and it left me even more frustrated and angry hearing that. I already knew I would feel better if I could go for a walk in peace and quiet, take a long soak in the bath or sit and read a book, but it simply wasn't a possibility with 3 small kids and a husband working away from home. Now that my children are all older I/we have more freedom yes and I do put my foot down at times and tell them that I need some me time alone but the demands on most of us (parents or not, man or woman) are great and life is busy. So where do I land on the subject? Is selfcare a privilege?
I must say, yes it is!
Does that mean I believe we shouldn't "stamp our feet" at times and be "selfish" and carve out a few minutes to our selves? No!
Selfcare is VITAL for our mental wellbeing. I FULLY get that there are situations where it is simply not a possibility or affordable but I do believe its up to ourselves to do what is right for us to maintain a good mental health.
Our needs may differ for sure just as our free time differ but personally I have learnt over the years (the hard way) what happens if I don't prioritise myself at times. (even if its just an extra 5 mins in the bathroom!)
We all have the same 24 hours in a day yes, but we all have different lives and different priorities.
What is right for me may not be right for you. Saying "no" is a good thing and prioritising what is right for you is never wrong.
So, to finish I will say: I respect SJP for talking about this subject. It is very easy to see all celebrities as privileged, rich and spoiled and without a doubt, many of them are. But I am also a grown woman who knows that the images and stories we hear about in the media are often decorated beyond reason and unless you hear it strait from their own mouth, take it with a pinch of salt. Let me know your thoughts on this, the subject truly have me intrigued. Love and hugs to all who needs them and I hope you manage to take good care of yourself today.
Marleen x
Self care is like our income. Sure we all have some bills we have to pay and some 'self-care' or call it maintenance we have to do. What young mom hasn't had to have a shower with a couple kids in the room or gulped down a meal on the way out the door to take someone else where they have to go. But when I see someone say they can't afford time to themselves but they are sporting a new tattoo or they are too hard up for a decent haircut but have pics on FB of themselves doing shots on a Saturday night...I call Bull Crap. We spend our time and money where we want. We want a…
Self care doesn't have to mean going to a spa or an expensive massage once a week (let's face it, it's not "self care" if it's prebooked every week, THAT'S privelege!) A long luxurious bath isn't my idea of self care either because then you've a bath to clean too. A lot of the time it's just taking your time of the first cuppa of the day, taking that extra 5-10 mins to gather your thoughts and breathe. The washing machine does NOT have to be on every day, your bathrooms do NOT need to be spotless either, who's inspecting them?
Nope, not me I'll put the kettle on or get a cold drink if it's like an inferno outside.…