Stop Hiding Your ‘Me Time’!
Can I offer you a gentle truth today?
Taking time for ourselves isn't selfish – no matter what that niggling inner voice might be telling you. It's an absolutely necessary aspect of being the best moms, spouses, sisters, friends, grandmothers and humans we can be.
I was reminded of this recently when a new member of my face yoga membership, The Beauty Garden, told me something that broke my heart a little. She said she felt guilty spending even 10 minutes on her face yoga practice when her husband was in the house. She'd actually been sneaking off to the bathroom to do her exercises, worried that he’s think she was being "vain" or "self-indulgent." Or just belittling her chosen self-care routine as silly. (Side note: face yoga DOES involve some silly faces! That’s part of the fun!)
Does any part of that story feel familiar to you?
As women (especially those of us in midlife), we've mostly been conditioned to put everyone else's needs before our own. We care for partners, children, aging parents, friends, colleagues – before we settle down to take care of ourselves. And I don’t know about you, but for me, by the time I “have time” to do that, I’m often too exhausted anyway!
And somewhere along the way, many of us internalized the message that self-care is “selfish”. That taking time for ourselves means we're taking something away from someone else who needs and deserves our care.
🍃 But here's the powerful truth: self-care is the foundation that allows us to care for everyone else.
It’s the whole “put on your oxygen mask first” thing. Except, instead of an oxygen mask, it’s a 20 minute walk after dinner, a bubble bath before bed, a 30 minute phone call with a friend, an hour of some dumb Netflix show that only YOU care about. And, yes, it can be 10 (or more) minutes of daily face yoga.
When we're depleted, stressed, and disconnected from ourselves, we have less to offer those around us. (And, just as an aside, we also tend to not look so good!)
Self-care (including practices like face yoga) isn't about vanity – it's about vitality.
It's about:
Taking a few minutes to breathe deeply and release tension from your face
Connecting with yourself in a gentle, loving way
Creating space for renewal and restoration
Reminding yourself and others that what you need and want matters
Modeling healthy boundaries for those around you (especially younger women in your life)
When I practice face yoga, I'm not just doing something good for my appearance. I'm creating a pocket of calm in my day. I'm reminding myself that I matter. I'm connecting with my body in a way that's respectful and nurturing.
And you know what? My friends, husband, daughters and even my pets benefit, too! They get a version of me that's more present, more patient, and more at peace.
So today, I want to offer you full permission to prioritize yourself.
Not because you've "earned it" or because you "deserve a treat" – but because it's fundamentally necessary for your wellbeing and for the wellbeing of everyone around you.
Face yoga is just one form this can take – a few minutes a day where you reconnect with yourself, release tension, and practice self-acceptance. And you know I love my outdoor walks. But whatever form of self-care speaks to you, I encourage you to embrace it…and ditch the guilt.