The Self-cation.
I created the word “self-cation” about four years ago. Everything that I knew to be consistent was in a whirlwind of change. I was so busy trying to get things back to normal, trying to be God’s number one employee when he never even put out an opening for the position of “Fix My Life”. While trying to fix everyone else’s issues, I started overeating and became depressed, which resulted in me stressing myself mentally and physically. I ignored all signs of my body telling me I needed to “stop,” not pause but “stop” and focus on myself.
It was not until I heard the lyrics:
“Self-care, I’m treatin’ me right, yeah
Hell yeah, we gonna be alright (we gon’ be alright).”
In his song “Self-care,” Mac Miller said that as long as I care for myself, I will be alright. I can only control how I treat myself and the outcome. When I heard the song, those lyrics stuck out to me. I repeated them to myself out loud. As I repeated them, I thought about all the times I neglected myself with distractions to ignore the inner voice saying, “Take care of me.” When I got home, I sat in my car and said, ” I need to take care of myself, I need to be okay with myself, I need a vacation with myself, I need a self-cation.” At that moment, unknowly, the term “self-cation” was born.
Self-cation: A vaction from yourself with yourself.
Crowned ReRe
Whether my self-cation was a stay-cation or a getaway, Whether my self-cation is by myself or with family and friends, I still find time to do the following three things:
These are my go-to’s for my self-cation. You can do your self-cation however you like as you feel like you have taken a break from yourself.
Read a Book
One of my favorite activities is reading. I intend to read at least twenty pages of a book before bed; sometimes, that does not happen due to being a full-time worker and a full-time college student. Reading on self-cation makes me feel more accomplished, especially if I can read an entire book within the days I am on self-cation. Turning the last page of my book is such a fantastic feeling.
If you decide to read a book, the book does not have to have the same pages as the bible. When I take a book on my self-cation, it is usually under 300 pages, and a book I have wanted to read for some time motivates and excites me to start reading.
Check out my Book and Bloom of bell hooks “all about love; new visions” by selecting the link below:
Find Water.
Water, to me, is a sign of new birth. Whether in the pool or at the beach, I tie myself to the water. I am closing my eyes, feeling the tides coming in, washing sand, and going back out again. I thank God for allowing me to see the waves to be in the “crown moment” and to remember all things can be new and consistent simultaneously.
If you can’t get to the beach, enjoy the water by taking a nice soak in the tub with your favorite bubbles and oils, Epsom salt, and remember the bath bombs (OMGosh, I love those). Taking a nice soak in the tub can help you sleep better and refresh you if you’re taking a morning soak. For benefits on hot baths, select the link below.
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/beauty-products/a18673205/hot-baths-benefits/
Do what you love … (Treat yourself)
If I am taking a self-cation stay-cation, one thing I am going to do is go to the zoo. Going to the zoo is an activity that I love to do. I love being outside, getting my steps in, and the animals, especially the elephants. When I am at the zoo, I am in the present. When I am on self-cation out of town, I always try to find a museum or a botanical garden in the city where I will be staying. These are places I like to be that take me away from anxiety for a while. I can admire nature at a botanical garden and soak up so much information when I visit a museum.
Finding something you love to do is significant when it comes to self-cation. The action is the joy of being from yourself with yourself.
The Outcome
“I realize that everything will work itself, even if I am present to do the working out,” is what my mom told me on the second day of our self-cation together. My mom said that “she was in the experience of peace.” When I heard my mom say those words, it brought me joy. I could take her away, and on the second day of our five-day self-cation, she was experiencing peace.
Your outcome of self-cation may not be like mine, where I experience joy and self-awareness, or like my mom, where she experienced peace. What I will say is that you will have an experience. Once you plan a self-cation for three days, five days, or more. Self-cation from yourself with yourself will make you realize how important you are to yourself. The importance of putting yourself above others. Because if you don’t care for yourself, how will you care for others?
