a real conversation
Join me as we cover all aspects relating to self-care with my guest, Lucy who specializes in creative writing.
For Lucy, self-care is about making choices each day that support her health and wellbeing, rather than draining it.
Our Conversation
Hello Lucy, why is self-care important to you?
Hello Saskia, thank you so much for interviewing me! The simplest way I can answer that is with a quote I read many years ago that said, “If you don’t make time for exercise now, be prepared to make time for medical appointments later.” You can replace “exercise” with “self-care” because exercise is just one part of self care.
That quote made a lot of sense and really stayed with me. Over the years, I’ve seen it play out, too. During periods where I neglected myself, I felt run down, my immunity dropped, I got sick more easily, and I felt mentally drained.
I’ve heard something similar recently, a quote that said when things are challenging no one else can push you through and do the hard work for you, you are the only person who can turn up and put in the effort for yourself, but you aren’t the only person that benefits from you being the strongest, most aligned version of yourself, everyone around you benefits and that really stood out for me. Another way to look at it would be through self-care instead of strength.
This teaches us that we are the creators of our own reality and self-care really is at the forefront of allowing us to be able to show up as our strongest, most aligned versions of ourselves.
How do you embrace self-care in your daily life?
Well, I’ll start by saying I haven’t always been great at embracing all aspects of self care, but I’m quite different now.
My partner and I are empty nesters so we have more time than we used to. We’re at the gym at 4am most weekday mornings and train for about an hour. At the end of my training, I stretch with some peaceful music. It’s not formal meditation, but it’s a quiet time that helps me reset before the day starts.
We both work full-time from home, so we make a point of having lunch together. After lunch, we’ll play a couple of quick games like Wordle. It’s fun, and challenges our brains in a different way to work.
At night, we wind down with some TV and go to bed fairly early because of the early starts.
We also try to laugh a lot and communicate effectively to each other. Self-care for me is about consistent habits that support my body and mind.
I love that you’ve created such a wholesome ritual for yourself and your partner. Incorporating many different aspects for self care, from supported communication to fun creativity. It is all supported and in alignment for the best version of yourself and your partner. I’m sure it makes for a rewarding purposeful life.
“Self-care for me is about consistent habits that support my body and mind.”
Which aspect of your self-care are you most proud of?
So, about ten years ago, my partner and I decided to go plant-based. Our reasons actually weren’t health-related at all, but it did relate to the self care of others and of ourselves. We struggled with what animals go through to end up on our plates. It was a personal struggle we’d had for many years, and eventually we decided to act on it.
For us, that decision reduced a lot of mental heaviness and guilt around food, and just in general. We felt lighter. What surprised us is that we didn’t realise going plant-based would end up being so good for our health, wellness, strength and fitness. That was never the motivation, it was simply a by-product, but it’s been a tremendous self-care change for us.
That is a huge decision and one that would take time and commitment, so wonderful to hear that the decision has been fulfilling for you and can feel the benefits from choosing to incorporate this into your daily self-care routine.
Are there areas of self-care you still struggle with?
Yes, sleep! I’m not good at prioritising sleep at all!
My work involves sitting at a computer, and I’m often most productive in very quiet hours. If I wake up in the middle of the night, my mind switches straight to work and I’ll go to the computer. It’s calm, there are no distractions, and I can get a lot done.
But also, I will prioritise everything before sleep, so if it's a really busy time, and a lot of things need to get done, I'll forego sleep in order to work through my To-Do list, even though it's counterproductive! It’s something I need to improve.
Yes, sleep is such an important aspect for our daily self-care needs and one that so many of us unfortunately struggle with. No matter how simple the concept may be a lot off us simply don’t get the required sleep needed, so that our brains and bodies can switch off to regenerate. Fortunately there are ways to work towards getting on top of your sleep needs and patterns, so that you are having a quality nights sleep.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about self-care?
One thing I’ve learned, and struggled with for most of my life, is that self-care includes setting boundaries. Learning to say no has been one of the hardest things for me.
For many years, I worried about disappointing people or being seen as selfish. It’s only really in the past decade that I’ve started drawing clearer lines around what I will and won’t accept in my life.
It’s not always easy, it’s not always possible in every situation, but where I can, setting boundaries protects my energy and mental health.
So true and I think that’s something we come to learn to be ok with later in life, to be able to say no and to be comfortable with saying no, whether that be to friends, family or work commitments. It’s important we learn to have that boundary for ourself, to better ourself, to empower ourself and to better protect our energy for our own quality of life.
Thank you so much Lucy, that was fun!
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I am passionate about helping others build meaningful self-care practices that feel supportive, steady and sustainable. My wellness rituals are designed to create space for reflection, connection and gentle growth.