Women's Network July 2018 | Page 34

A RELUCTANT GUIDE TO SELF CARE Does self care feel like just another thing on your to-do list? Or does self care seem like an indulgent practice you don’t have time for? In this article Louise D’Allura, a self confessed resistor of self care, shares a personal account of she how created and embraced her own definition of self care. “It’s utterly unacceptable to be sick” The moment these words came out of my mouth and landed in the ears of my health care practitioner, I knew I was in trouble. Not with her, but with myself. I had been sick for two weeks, going on three by that stage, and all my human- ness and inability to keep pushing through came to the fore. There was no running this time. The tone of harshness I had expressed toward myself was palpable. This was one of the first times I realised the impact of this dialogue on my health. Productivity’s Triple Threat™ of people pleasing, perfectionism and procrastination was running the show - to do everything, be everything – no matter the cost. This time it came crashing down in spectacular fashion… and cue ugly crying! 34 Women’s Network Magazine