What is self-care?

SueC1957 -- Hardly!! Self preservation is a strong motivator. Lol!!!

moecam -- Ooh! Warm lotion. I'll have to give that a try! In-laws are currently paying their own way. All their helpers get paid from their account. But you are SO RIGHT about saving NOW for our care when WE get older. Lord willing, we still have a good 20 years to keep building our nest egg. It's a hard balance between taking care of today's needs and guessing what we'll need in times to come, but we follow many of Dave Ramsey's suggestions and are currently working on building passive income streams. We used to think we were doing pretty good to prepare by paying ourselves first, avoiding debt, taking on a reasonable mortgage, etc. But, BOY!!! Were our eyes opened when we took on managing his parents!!! We're being more aggressive now that we see how incredibly expensive it is to hire helpers. The in-laws saved for this rainy day, but we are still having to be so very careful with their expenditures so their money will last as long as they do.

To me, self-care is believing you are doing enough. I quit my job to care for an aging parent, I would not change that decision, however, I am now on a mission to not do do do but to relax when I choose and give time to whatever I decide is important. For me, this is a challenge as the best-laid plans seem to be usurped easily. I am a 3-time cancer survivor and my health cannot go down in flames with the price I have paid to get it together. And yet, I stay in the game of caregiving so my loved one may stay in their home and have their choices. Self-care is anything that keeps you on the trail with a focus and a renewed joy in living each moment like it the last.