Do You Mistakenly Associate Self-Care with Luxury?

Have you ever thought about an act of self-care as being just a little too luxurious?  Maybe the thought of going on vacation fully disconnected from the wired world and your job/business as something of an unachievable luxury?  Moments of quiet in a busy day, time to relax, have fun, exercise, and just drink deep from the cup of life…again too much of a luxury?  Well, what if these very things you deem as a luxury are in fact the very lifeblood of living a full and meaningful life?

I was reading The Luxury Travel Mom’s post “there is no synonym for luxury” and was intrigued by the dictionary definition of the word:

According to the dictionary luxury is defined as “something inessential but conducive to pleasure and comfort”.

Inessential is one word that stood out for me as did pleasure and comfort.  So often people mistakenly associate the essential need for self-care as a luxury.  Actually caring for our needs and living aligned with our values is essential if you want to live a life of meaning and make your unique contribution to the world.  It’s not a bad idea if you want to stay healthy, free of dis-ease, and able to perform at your best as well.  I might also add that a little true luxury by definition here and there is also quite good for the soul.

One of my more popular articles from years ago is R & R – Luxury or Lifeblood? It was inspired by an insipid comment by one of my co-workers at the time. They thought I lived some crazy luxurious life because I liked to travel a few times a year and chose to fully disconnect while I was there.  Personally I think they were simply projecting their own feelings of desperation and loss at not being able to set boundaries around their own time and make powerful choices in their own life for whatever reason.  I wasn’t about to feel guilty about making choices that served my highest good and fed my soul.  There’s a reason and need for vacation and I take it seriously.  Remember “Sharpen the Saw” from the Covey 7 Habits?

So – how about you?  Are you able to engage in the self-care you need to be at your best or are you tossing it aside as an indulgence or luxury? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments…