Maslow's Self-Care.

Last week, I stumbled across a great graphic on Instagram that broke down the idea of self-care that I’ve been talking about since the earliest conceptualization of solavis. It always makes me happy when I find peoples talking about self-care in deep and meaningful ways; ways that don’t rely on manicures or spa days or bubble baths or alcohol.

Thanks to the design miracle that is Canva I was able to put together my own graphic, and bring it here, to share with more detail the ways in which I view “self-care” and the every day ways this interconnects with pure survival.

First - there’s a little psychology lesson embedded here. Some of y’all may be familiar with Abraham Maslow and his eponymous hierarchy of needs. For those who are not, the general premise is that, as humans, we have very pragmatic survival needs that must successfully be met before we can move on toward manifesting higher level goals. The image below demonstrates the structure Maslow proposed: basic biological needs, human connectedness needs, internal esteem needs, and then (and only then) self-actualizing needs. (Maslow defined self-actualization as our understanding of meaning of life.)

Next - how does this align with the idea around self-care that I talk about?

As the idea of “self-care” becomes more Instagram trendy, I think we lose sight of what this work truly needs to encompass. This is where Maslow comes in for me.

Self-care starts, for many - particularly the most vulnerable and at risk - with those basic levels; Are you taking in adequate nutrition? Are you adequate hydrated? Do you even have a sustainable definition of "adequate”? Are you sleeping? Are you moving your body?

Do you have a home? Does that space feel safe and comfortable? Is it reflective of you preferences in a home? Do you have the resources you need to keep it?

What is the texture and content of your relationships? Are they reciprocal in nature? Are your boundaries appropriately permeable and structured? Do you know what that looks like for you? Can you speak your truth to the people nearest you? Do they see you for who and what you are? Do you feel connected and accepted?

What is your relationship to yourself? Are you connected to and accepting of your truest self? Do you recognize both your strengths and your liabilities and are you able to reconcile those things? Do you love yourself?

And how does all of this come together toward the way you move through and strive for your best life? What is your spiritual foundation? Do you have a career that feels like a calling? What is your relationship with nature? Do you spend your days pushing toward fulfillment and deep meaning?

Or are you merely existing?

So much of the work I feel compelled to do circulates in these areas, focuses upon these questions…and their answers. This is why I find myself frustrated with “self-care” being equated with a mimosa and a pedicure. Self-care is, as the incomparable Maya Angelou suggested, surviving AND thriving.

It’s the most serious, essential, business we engage in. It is the foundation upon which all else accumulates.

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I hope this inspires you to join us on March 28 and 29 , 2020 for a two day event that focuses on the five major areas of holistic self-care: physical, social, career, emotional, and spiritual. Click for more details.