Why a Hobby is so Important to Self-Care

One of the main focuses in trauma recovery and healing is Self-Care.

I remember the first time my therapist asked me what I do for self-care, I looked at her like a deer in headlights.

What is this thing called self-care?
What do you mean I should be taking time during the day to focus on what I like to do to make myself happy?

I’ve spent so many years locked away in dissociation; I have such cemented perceptions of what I deserve regarding happiness and wholeness that this idea of taking time only for me, to practice self-care felt foreign, even selfish.

I’ve been working on self-care with intention for nearly two years now, and it’s still a struggle but I am finding my personal joys.

Of course, the basics of self-care are in my toolbox: music, essential oils, books, breathing techniques, friends on speed dial, this blog, and my trusty journal.

I also ventured out into the realm of hobbies and I tried something that looked fun but that I had never done before. I got into paper crafts and started making handmade notes cards.

Here are a few cards that I made.

I love it, this new hobby that I have found. I also believe that having a hobby in addition to basic methods of self-care for those of us living with Complex-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is vital to the process.

Here are a couple of reasons I believe card-making has helped me as I live with C-PTSD.

1. It motivates and encourages my individual creativity. Most of my life I have always joked that I have a hard time stepping outside the box creatively, but once pushed I can build on ideas. As I learn about the long-term effects of childhood trauma on adulthood, I realize my imagination and creativity was stunted as a child due to changes in my brain as I responded to the abuse. Creating card designs is helping me tap into and reenergize the creative juices I have inside me.

2. It allows me to focus my mind during times of high anxiety and intrusive thoughts and memories. When I am measuring paper for design cuts and placement, when I am determining paper patters to put together, or choosing from the many stamp messages I have – my mind is disciplined and focused which helps calm me.

3. Every time I create a new card design or card set – I feel a sense of achievement. Of completing a task and that helps my confidence levels, especially the ones that I don’t even realize are an issue until triggered.

4. It gives me the alone time with myself to listen to music ad unwind from the weight of functioning with C-PTSD.

5. I’m learning a new skill. Who doesn’t feel good learning a new skill and seeing growth and improvement. Again, building on confidence issues that I don’t even realize I struggle with until triggered in a high-stress situation.

Another thing that is an added bonus of card making it that I have a collection of notecards which motivates me to stay in touch with friends and family. After years of dissociation and isolation from family as a means of survival – I have a lot of catching up to do.

I SO recommend looking for a hobby. Don’t just settle for journals, diffusing oils, or relying on breathing techniques (though all of this is helps too) – challenge yourself.

So tell me, what kinds of things do you do to practice self-care?

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If card making is something that sounds like fun to you – please visit my page for all of the start-up supplies that I have purchased as well as my recommendations based on those purchases. Products will be linked to purchase for your convenience.

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Do you have a hobby? I make homemade cards as part of my self care routine.

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