I remember a time when self-care was personal and simple, like listening to your favorite song on repeat, getting lost in a book, taking a stroll around your neighborhood, or calling a friend who always knows just what to say. It was a quiet, unassuming kind of thing—something you did for yourself, by yourself, without feeling the need to broadcast it to the world. It’s these small, intimate acts that fill your cup, not because they’re trendy, but because they’re true to who you are.
There's something about a slice of vanilla confetti cake that feels like a secret from childhood. You take that first bite, and there’s that little burst of sweetness and nostalgia—like a reunion with your younger self, the one who believed sprinkles made everything better.
Perhaps you've recently graduated and haven't found the right job yet. Maybe you're finding it hard to get your career back on track after taking a break to raise your children. Perhaps you're stuck doing a job you don't like to make ends meet. Maybe you'd hoped that by now you'd be: running a successful business, married, financially independent, having kids…, etc.
From dinner parties to networking events, mingling with new faces and others we haven’t seen in a while, inevitably leads to being asked “What do you do?” over and over again - a common question that we use to fill awkward silences and start conversations, or a seemingly innocent attempt to put people in labelled boxes.
It’s easy to pretend that everything is going fine; to add filters to our words like we add filters to our photos. “I’m fine” … “It’s going well”… Insert forced smile.
But every once in a while, things aren’t going to be fine and you’re going to want to either hide it or hide in your own shell. Because who wants to be around a person who isn’t doing great, right?
