by Erlene Grise-Owens, EdD, LCSW, MSW, MRE, lead co-editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals
After an unlucky altercation with my storage door resulted in a severely broken bumper, it occurred to me that my Honda represents my self-care journey. When my companion and I bought the glowing new inexperienced Honda Accord to have fun my doctorate in 2000, I didn’t aspire to drive it for 2 decades-plus. But, it represents who I’ve turned out to be. And, I prefer it.
Protecting Up Appearances Is Costly and Pointless
Philosophically, my Honda embodies my propensity for not-caring a lot about “maintaining appearances.” Virtually, my Honda represents consideration to frugality as a part of my self-care. Financial self-care is commonly underrated and misunderstood. My companion and I garner vital monetary advantages from this Honda resolution—a few years of no automobile fee, decrease insurance coverage and taxes, and so forth. Additionally, though we’ve got one other newer automobile—which my companion drives for his commute and our highway journeys—we’ve not squandered time car-shopping.
Added bonuses of my Honda embody: The grandkids assume it’s a really perfect jalopy for “safari” adventures. I don’t fear about somebody stealing my automobile or focusing on me as a lady of means. Held collectively by political stickers, duct tape, and tenacity, I conjecture different drivers steer clear as a result of this car doesn’t have a lot to lose.
In preserving the Honda, my companion and I aren’t sacrificing something, as a lot as we’re satisfying our priorities. We prioritize with the ability to afford world journey, home-making, having a monetary cushion, and serving to others. This congruence of values is a crucial facet of self-care.
Each virtually and philosophically, my Honda is “Good Sufficient.” I don’t actually take pleasure in driving; I’ve even much less curiosity in vehicles than I do sports activities. I simply need a car that’s basically practical and comparatively reliable. With out frills, my Honda serves its goal. With essential re-fills, it will get me the place I need to go.
In self-care, we will get overwhelmed by expectations of perfection and enticed by newest fads: Perhaps this shiny new program would be the good stress remedy. Perhaps this miraculous app will repair my life. Actually, up to date assets and new discoveries can assist refining and enhancing one’s self-care. However, like my Honda, a lot of self-care is solely and steadfastly Good Enough.
“Bury me with my automobile,” sings Ben Sollee. I’m not connected to my Honda in fairly that approach—primarily as a result of I don’t need my bones nor my belongings to take up treasured inexperienced area. However, I could have my adequate self-car(e) plan cremated with me.
Upkeep Issues
For now, I’m driving my newly-bumpered Honda. However, I’m not simply driving it into the bottom. From day one, I’ve invested in upkeep—common oil adjustments, requisite repairs, and so forth. The ground mats that got here with the automobile, nonetheless retaining the brand and authentic (granted, light) coloration, testify to routine cleansing. The shortage of rust and (principally) working components attest to caring, sensible consideration over many years.
Self-care is finished NOW, this second, this hour, today. It’s not one thing to be delayed till we will afford it—time and money-wise. And, I can attest cumulative results of sustained self-care are incalculably useful. Undoubtedly, these cumulative results require ongoing upkeep. The oftentimes mundane and generally difficult upkeep of self-care sustains us.
Driving alongside, we’ve got bumps—or in my case “bumpers”—that give us pause and should even take us off the highway. As a part of a upkeep plan, I retained insurance coverage that supplied for the repairs costing a modest deductible. So, make investments now. Even when it appears your self-care may need to be junked, upkeep over time will repay.
What’s Your “Honda”?
Like all points of self-care, driving my Honda is a private alternative primarily based on my values, preferences, and circumstances. When you take pleasure in automobiles, can afford the one you want, and that brings pleasure, then, go for it! As consumerism threatens to commodify every little thing, we have to deliberately make selections about what we purchase and what we purchase into, together with because it pertains to our self-care.
I invite you to contemplate: What’s your “Honda?” What “automobiles” energy your self-care? What drives you? (See what I did there? Wink!) What are your values and priorities? What do you need to preserve? What’s your adequate self-care?
Peace, Love, and Self-Care,
Erlene
Dr. Erlene Grise-Owens, EdD, LCSW, MSW, MRE, is a Associate in The Wellness Group, ETC. This LLC offers analysis, coaching, and session for organizational wellness and practitioner well-being. Dr. Grise-Owens is lead editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Employees and Different Serving to Professionals. As a former college member and graduate program director, she and a small (however mighty!) group of colleagues applied an initiative to advertise self-care as a part of the social work schooling curriculum. Beforehand, she served in medical and administrative roles. She has expertise with navigating toxicity and dysfunction, up-close and private! Likewise, as an educator, she noticed college students enter the sphere and shortly burn out. As a devoted social employee, she believes the well-being of practitioners is a matter of social justice and human rights. Thus, she is on a mission to advertise self-care and wellness!
