( ENSPIRE Health & Wellness ) Wholistic Lifestyle Coach Orlandina Balan Reminds Women to Implement Self-Care Routines to Be Their Best Selves
Guest Contributor: Orlandina Balan
Up until about a year ago, I would have described myself as an intelligent, strong, and confident black woman. I have a successful career; I am a business owner; I don’t shy away from speaking my mind or from being the only person of color in any space. As I am an IFBB physique athlete, even my physical appearance sends the message of strength and invulnerability. However, being a strong, invincible, invulnerable woman warrior led to the inability to be vulnerable because I saw it as a sign of weakness and lack of control. The truth was, it was a sign of my humanness.
Our superwoman complex is an issue that concerns all women and crosses all racial, cultural, and ethnic boundaries. As women, we want to be there for everyone, but when we break who is there for us? This is when we need to lean into self-care.
Self-care goes beyond going out with the girls to get your hair and nails done. It is not a luxury, it is a lifestyle. The WHO describes self-care as “the ability… to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.” To show just how varied it is, self-care comes in 6 different forms: emotional, physical, social, practical, mental, and spiritual.
As women we must begin to allow ourselves to say, I don’t have it together right now and I need help. It’s okay for me to admit that I am not perfect. My me-time is just as important, if not more important than the time I give to everyone else. I give myself permission to put myself first and tend to my self-care. The world will not come to an end and everyone relying on me will be fine.
Visit Orlandina’s website here.
Related Article: Dr. Ja’net Bishop Talks About the Importance of Self-Care
