The World Can Wait: Wellness, Self-Care, and Making Yourself A Priority

The World Can Wait: Wellness,

Self-Care, and Making Yourself A Priority

Episode 1: “At Your Best”

Chantel Johnson

Self-care is a never-ending journey of exploration, boundaries, and putting yourself first. We can and we should always strive to love ourselves more.

This column will cover the many ways in which you can do just that – including setting healthy boundaries, establishing healthy friendships, and listening to your inner-voice. But this is by no means an exhaustive list. Self-care looks different for everyone and as we progress within ourselves, so do our expectations and habits.

To me, self-care often looks like writing and listening to music. So, each episode will be inspired by a song that brings me joy in some way. With that said, I’m kicking off this column with Episode 1, inspired by Aaliyah’s “At Your Best.” I hope you’ll stay and vibe with me.

“But at your best, you are love.

You’re a positive motivating force within my life.”

- Aaliyah

At your best, you are your greatest asset. You are amazing. Capable. And unstoppable. But only you know your “best.” Only you can take stock within yourself to find out what is necessary to keep you thriving. As such, it is your responsibility to make time to do just that.

During the summer before law school, I made an “At My Best” list — or a checklist of things that either made me happy or allowed me to show up as my best self. The list ranged from very small things — such as treating myself to my favorite food every Friday — to very big things, such as being able to go to bed every night by 9 p.m. This list, I swore to myself, would be non-negotiable no matter how busy or stressful law school would turn out to be.

My reasoning for this was simple: everything in life that is connected to me – whether that be family, friends, pro bono clients, or law school – stems from me first. Therefore, it is up to me to make sure I am in the correct head space to effectively support myself and others. Our bodies and minds go through so much each day just to help us operate. The heart, for example, expands and contracts at least 100,000 times per day while a particular part of the brain helps regulate body temperature. Self-care, then, is a simple but noble ask.

Boundaries – and self-care more broadly – gives us something to look forward to. For example, I look forward to 9 p.m. every day when I know that my laptop will close and my phone will go on Do-Not-Disturb mode. Nothing is more powerful or beautiful than the world not having access to me, even if it is just for a few hours. At 9 p.m., the world expects nothing from me, and I expect nothing from the world. And that’s all I need to feel excited about conquering the next day ahead.

Now that my 1L year is officially over and I have time to reflect and breathe (literally), I realize that I have stayed true to my “At My Best” list for the most part. I have only made myself accessible to law school endeavors past 9 p.m. twice in the whole school year, and both times were absolutely necessary because of a deadline I needed to meet by midnight (procrastination: 10/10 do not recommend). But still, I am very proud of this small but very large feat. In the many years to come, I may fail to remember when to utilize the Second Restatement of Contracts but I will never forget how kindly I treated myself during a trying year. My body and mind will never forget this, either. At the end of the day, I just want to live more. To be more. To experience more. And taking care of myself is the first step in that journey.

Will I be able to maintain my 9 p.m. sleep schedule in a few years when I am a junior associate? To be completely honest, I am not sure. But setting boundaries now will equip me to better set and adjust them later. And besides, this is what boundaries are truly for anyhow. As people, we are constantly changing by the day, month, and year. Who truly knows what one will choose to value or prioritize in the years to come? Perhaps what is most important is just taking the initiative to start a self-care boundary or routine. Perhaps what is most important is to water and grow them as we grow ourselves, instead of treating them as stagnant and absolute.

You at your best is a concept. So, what is your best? And how can you incorporate your “best” into your everyday life? How can you live more in order to become more? Because at your best, you are love. And you owe it to yourself to show up as that every day.

Join me next month when I will talk about the importance of creating and sustaining healthy friendships and networks – because you deserve to surround yourself with people who match your energy.