Image description: A list with illustrations.
Self-care Invitation:
1. Something Uncomfortable (illustration of a stick figure in a small blue circle with a larger green circle surrounding, text reads “This comfort zone is getting small. Let’s grow!”)
2. Something to comfort you (illustration of a stick figure surrounded by hearts, text reads “What do I need? It’s okay to be kind to myself.”)
3. Something to comfort someone else (illustration of two stick figures, one sitting and one standing. There is a blue heart-shaped flower growing between them, and green roots reaching down and tangling between them. Text reads “How can I help? We share roots. We can grow together.”)
Along the bottom of the illustration, text reads #stickfiguresunday www.tiffanysostar.com and a small Tiffany Sostar logo.
Today’s Stick Figure Sunday is all about comfort.
It’s a self-care invitation – an open door into exploring comfort from multiple angles.
Some discomfort is healthy, and helps us grow. There are times when it’s worth leaning into an uncomfortable feeling – trying something new, or trying something again; taking a risk; staying in a difficult conversation or standing up for ourselves; setting a boundary or asking someone about their boundaries; making a change or making a plan. There are all kinds of uncomfortable things that are a valuable part of self-care.
And just because being the right kind of uncomfortable is a good thing, doesn’t mean that being comfortable is a bad thing. So when you make the choice to do something that makes you uncomfortable in that good, growing, gracious way, also give yourself permission to do something that is comforting. Cuddle up with a movie and some popcorn, go for a long walk, talk with your bestie or with your notebook. Being kind to yourself, and giving yourself the experiences and the physical, emotional, mental, and social resources that nourish you is also a valuable part of self-care.
And, finally, comforting each other is also a valuable part of self-care because community care is self-care. When we help each other, we build each other up and we also develop our own sense of agency and self-efficacy – our sense that our actions can positively influence our lives and the world around us. By reminding ourselves that we can make a positive difference in the world, it can become easier to do more of the things that make a difference. It’s hard to keep going when we can’t see the point, when we don’t have hope and we don’t feel like our actions matter. Helping each other is one way to rebuild our sense of hope and resilience, and to help foster hope and resilience in the people we care about.
How will you get comfortable, comforting, and uncomfortable this week?
Recent Comments