I seldom use the term self-care. After learning it’s the theme for this month’s Photo Blogging Challenge, I thought I better confirm whether the images of spa visits and gooey desserts tagged #selfcare in my news & social-media feeds are truly representative of the practice. I soon learned they are NOT! It’s always good to learn something. 🙂

I started by reading an article about self-care on the Government of Canada website. When I clicked on the link, I discovered it was an article published on July 24, 2024, in the online news platform for the Department of National Defence. It reads, in part, “The International Self-Care Foundation (ISAF) established Self-Care Day to be observed every July 24th (7/24) to signify observing self-care, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. While this may not always be possible thanks to our busy work and home lives, it’s vital that we do not feel guilty about taking time for our physical and mental health.” From this, I realized that it makes a lot of sense that host PJ chose self-care for the July theme.

The Department of National Defence article goes on to list eight pillars of self-care. The linked page on ISAF’s website lists seven pillars. But neither provided a very clear definition of self-care. After a little more research I found WHO’s working definition of self-care:

“The ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health-care provider”. 

Further reading confirmed that self-care is multi-faceted, including:

• Health literacy – in other words, learning about ways to promote and maintain good physical, mental and social well-being
• Making healthy lifestyle choices – getting enough quality sleep, being physically active, eating healthily and socializing with family and friends
• Risk avoidance and mitigation – things like not smoking/quitting smoking, drinking in moderation, using sun protection, practicing safe sex, getting vaccinated and wearing a helmet when riding a bike
• Responsible use of self-care products and services – this includes taking prescription medications as prescribed, visiting the dentist, monitoring blood pressure, and accessing health services such as acupuncture, massage and smoking cessation programs as appropriate
• Self-recognition of symptoms – being aware of and addressing symptoms, in partnership with a healthcare professional if needed

Each website has a slightly different spin on similar concepts and themes. When I stopped and thought about everything I read, I realized that another way of describing self-care is taking responsibility for your own well-being to the extent possible – in the short-term and over the long-term. So yes, I consistently practice self-care. And for me, spending time in Nature for hiking, biking, kayaking and other adventures is a big part of my self-care!

Here are fives ways I practiced self-care in July:

1. Being Willing to Change My Mind and Admit I Was Wrong

Early in July we enjoyed 5 days touring in and around Oslo, Norway. Even during our pre-trip planning, I wasn’t keen on visiting the Fram Museum. Mainly, I couldn’t conceive how an old ship in a building would be an interesting place to spend a few hours. However, Mr GeoK was keen to visit. And the guide we had our first day touring Oslo highly recommended it. So I reluctantly agreed we’d start our Oslo “Museums Day” at the Fram (because it opened the earliest).

It turned out to be a wonderful couple of hours. We climbed around below decks of the Fram, the first ship specifically constructed in Norway for polar research. Then we found ourselves in a 4D movie experience flying to the North Pole. And lots more, too. Within half an hour of entering the Fram, I turned to Mr GeoK and said, “I was wrong. Thanks for talking me into coming. This place is amazing.” And then we proceeded to enjoy the rest of our time learning about polar exploration before moving on to several other museums.

2. Being Physically Active in Nature

We joined an expedition cruise around the Svalbard archipelago for the last two weeks of our five week trip to Norway. As in Greenland, we signed up for the sea kayaking program. Our group of 11 passengers and 3 guides enjoyed 10 paddles over the 12 days we were at sea. Sometimes, we paddled in brash ice. Others, we paddled along towering cliffs populated by nesting bird colonies. This particular outing, we paddled towards a glacier terminus under a sunny sky. Unlike the steep fjords of coastal mainland Norway, you’ll see from this photo that parts of Svalbard are quite flat by comparison.

3. Cultivating a Sense of Awe

We were blessed with seeing 14 polar bears over the course of our expedition cruise. We missed out on five other sightings, which means some passengers spotted 19 polar bears! And they weren’t little specks on the pack ice, either. Several approached within 500 meters of the ship when we were in pack ice. When we spotted polar bears during zodiac cruises, regulations required we stay back at least 300 meters. And if there were polar bears around, there was no kayaking. This healthy female polar bear enjoyed a roll around on the pack ice after feeding on a nearby sperm whale carcass. It was absolutely amazing to watch so many polar bears hunt, feed, travel across pack ice, walk into a walrus haul out, and interact. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

4. Springing for Business Class on a Return Flight

I always find jet lag a lot worse when flying west. So it wasn’t hard to talk me into agreeing to upgrade to business class for our flight home from Norway. We departed Oslo at 0630 and – after a four hour layover in Amsterdam – arrived in Calgary at 13:30, some 15 hours after our first flight lifted off (once you take the time change into effect). After a lovely meal, I managed to nap for several hours on my lay flat seat. I also watched (and highly recommend) “The Penguin Lessons” and “Bob Trevino Likes It.” Thanks to my in-flight nap, I managed to stay up until my usual bedtime (local time) and carried on from there. So overall, it was not too bad on the jet lag front.

5. Resuming Healthy Habits at Home

This is a two-fer, because I was determined to resume my healthy habits as soon as we returned home. Those include eating well, including a HUGE salad at lunch most days. Plus regular exercise. I was pleased to find that even after a 5-week break, I could still row 10 km in about 53 minutes. But it’s been a challenge to ride as hard on the recumbent bike. And you don’t want to hear grunting as I work to regain my strength on the chest press machine!!!

That’s it for me this month. I look forward to heading over to host PJ’s blog to learn how other participants practiced self-care this month.

Please consider jointing the Photo Blogging Challenge starting in August. I’ll post the theme here as soon as it’s available. You’ll need five photos and a blog. There are a number of free options, including the basic WordPress plan. We are a small, friendly community of bloggers, with members in the US, Canada and Europe. And if that is too much commitment, maybe drop a comment sharing your favorite self-care practice.