Self-Care Matters
Last week, as I was scrolling through my Instagram, I came by an announcement claiming that Justin Bieber had decided to cancel his remaining 15 shows of his Purpose Tour. I didn't think too much of the news as I'm not a huge Belieber so I went about my business. However, as I was driving home , I was listening to the radio and this was apparently the talk of the day. Bieber had stated that he decided to forgo performing after realizing that he needed rest because he had basically been touring for almost two years straight. He said he was looking forward to relaxing and riding his bike. Pretty basic stuff, nothing fancy. However, what caught my interest was that there were rumors on the interwebs as to the real reason why the Beebs decided to take a break.
I want to say that I didn't care to know what the "real" reason was, but, me being the pop culture enthusiast that I am, I waited through two songs to find out why. While I was listening through commercial break, my imagination ran wild. Maybe he was spotted with a secret girlfriend? What if he's been selected as a judge on the new season of American Idol? What if he's checking into rehab?
Unfortunately, it was nothing like that. Rumors were speculating that the Beebs decided to take a break because he found God and was going to give up showbiz in the mean time. I wasn't buying it. Definitely a false rumor. However, my disappointment in this news got me thinking...
Why is it so hard to believe that someone would choose to put their career on hold to practice some self-care? Why do we want to believe that it can be something else?
As a society, is it so unfathomable to believe that a "need for rest" is a legitimate reason to take a few sick days? I think so. I can't remember the last time (or anytime, actually) where I said that I was going to miss work or school so that I can catch up on some sleep or to just relax and not worry about anything. I usually rationalize to myself and say that I can push through the day and enjoy sleep after work. I convince myself that, "it's only 8 hours, I can get through it".
The truth of the matter is that we don't cut ourselves slack. This can be due to many reasons. Maybe we're too hard on ourselves and believe that we can take on anything. Perhaps we see that taking a break is a sign of weakness. Some glamorize being on #teamnosleep thinking that sacrificing hours of rest is the way to make it to the top. For others, they have no choice. Missing a day of work can mean financial hardship at the end of the month.
You can argue that without the grind, how can you get to the top? I'm not discounting that. But, what is the point of being at the top if you don't have the energy to enjoy being there? How could you enjoy your success when you're too exhausted to do so?
John Mayer had the best (and most realistic) reaction to Bieber's news stating,
"When someone pulls remaining dates of a tour, it means they would have done real damage to themselves if they kept going. We've lost so many great artists lately. I give Justin [two thumbs up] for realizing it was time to call it. You should too."
It's time to change the way we think of self-care. It's not a sign of weakness. Instead, it is symbolic of how you value your health (mental, physical, emotional, and psychological) and there's nothing wrong with that.
You best beliebe it.