Life can get pretty hectic. We’re all guilty of forgetting to take a breather and do the things that bring us joy and relaxation.
Whether you’re busy at work, with your family, or just with life, it can be easy to forget to relax and treat yourself. We all need to take time to practice self-care.
Self-care can mean many different things to different people. Here are a few examples of what self-care can look like:
– Eating healthy meals
– Reading
– Exercising
– Listening to music
– Watching a movie
– Taking a bath and placing candles around
– Creating art
– Giving yourself a manicure or pedicure
– Shopping
These examples are simple pleasures and the most common but one example of self-care that is rarely discussed is getting a tattoo.
Getting a tattoo is a highly therapeutic and relaxing experience.
There’s just something about the sound of the tattoo gun and feeling the vibrations from the gun.
Getting a tattoo can also be used as a way to disassociate for those who have been through trauma or currently are going through trauma.
All of my tattoos tell the story of my life — the struggles, both past and present, and that I’m a survivor.
When I woke up on May 19th, I decided I needed another tattoo. My ninth, to be exact.
My assistant called a few places. After a few minutes of searching, we found an opening at Liquid Impact Tattoos. They’re located at 391 Catherine Street, which isn’t far from where I live.
A few friends recommend this place, and I often see the long ramp leading to the shop when I’m on Para Transpo.
My appointment was 90 minutes away, but I showed up early to fill out their form and see how wheelchair accessible the shop was.
The front of the shop is a good size. I had enough room to turn around and browse through their merchandise and various artwork, but the back of the shop was small for my chair.
Thanks to the owner, Cameron Gardner, I managed my chair through the small space. Cameron was very accommodating.
When an owner tries to accommodate me, I appreciate it. I always like to give them a shout-out and be able to recommend them to other people.
As for my newest tattoo, I have a semi-colon on my right arm, the punctuation mark (;), which is used as a message of affirmation and solidarity with those who have dealt with suicide, depression, addiction, and other mental health issues. I am a survivor.
Earlier in this article, I listed shopping as a form of self-care.
Shopping is good if you don’t spend beyond your budget and avoid buying things you’ll never use. I’m guilty of this from time to time.
Recently, though, I decided to buy two new pairs of glasses. My old pair weren’t doing a good job anymore, and I also wanted to freshen up my look.
I went to Eyemaxx Optical Studio at 237 Elgin Street for my new glasses. I’ve been a customer at Eyemaxx for several years and have always had good experiences. Their staff is very professional, friendly, eager to help, and, most of all, they talk to me directly instead of going straight to my assistant.
I highly recommend Eyemaxx for all your optical needs.
Self-care doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming.
Going for a walk or any form of exercise is free and can be done at home or on the go.
If you love to read, you can borrow books from the Ottawa Public Library, which also has movies and music you can borrow for free.
So, what are you waiting for?
You deserve to take a break from everyday life’s hustle and bustle and be kind to yourself. You earned it.
Until next week, stay safe and keep on rolling.
Photo: Courtesy Ryan Lythall