Self Odyssey began in November 2018 as a way to share my self care and wellness tips, based on my own experiences and the lessons I have learned. But the journey to find my way back to myself began much earlier. Over the years, I have gone through depression, endless stress, anxiety, burnout that led to me getting out of my home town and into the countryside (not once but twice), life-threatening generalised seizures that put me in hospital for nearly a week, an epilepsy diagnosis, the loss of two beloved pets, a big move that turned my life upside down, childhood trauma coming back to haunt me, a badly sprained ankle that resulted in multiple complications, and many other things that left me feeling helpless.
Like every journey, there has never been a clear destination. Ok, maybe well-being is the destination. What I always forget is that coping is not always a straightforward thing. We may have a self care toolkit, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to put the tools into use. Throughout my journey, my definition of self care has changed frequently. This taught me something important…
Self care and mental health go hand in hand. When we take care of ourselves on a deeper level - physically, emotionally and mentally, it becomes much easier to find effective ways to deal with the numerous challenges we face as women. From simple things such as bedtime routines, breathing exercises and affirmations all the way to boundary setting, therapy, and negative thought redirecting, building skills to make coping easier is essential, allowing you to heal from the inside out.
The advice, guidance, inspiration and resources I share are not made to replace therapy, medication or other treatment strategies. They’re not based on the latest trends or unrealistic tips that are hard to put in place. Instead, they are meant to work alongside other treatments to offer an integrated approach. When it comes to mental health, professional help is essential and should always be the first line of treatment.
At Self Odyssey, my goal is to share my journey to self care, offering inspiration to others facing challenges in life, and realistic tips that can be put into action. Here are some things to know about me:
- My name is Rox and I’m all about living the simple life
- My challenges include depression, anxiety and epilepsy
- I work hard to increase my resilience and coping skills
- I’m terrible at social media and don’t follow any trends
- I live in South Africa, in the beautiful Cape countryside
- Currently, I’m staying with my parents to take a step back
- I believe that a mid-life crisis put me on a path to healing
- I volunteer with the local animal rescue, and foster puppies
- We share our house with a large number of rescue cats
- The garden is full of trees, plants, flowers and many birds
- I know that this journey we call life is never straightforward
To find out more about the role of self care and wellness in the real world and see how to get started on your own journey, hit the button below.