Setting the Foundation: What is your Self-Care Command Center?
Welcome to the brand new Companion Content Newsletter! It's like a regular newsletter, but with 1,000% more self-discovery and learning opportunities. This week we're making the decision to start prioritizing our own self-care and self-love. It's not easy, but it is critically important in moving safely and confidently in the modern-day hectic world. So we're kicking you off with the building of your own Self-Care Command Center! The objective by the end of month 1 is for you to have an idea of what your self-care looks like now and how you want to work on it in the future.
As you start thinking about these lessons try to keep in mind these 4 zones of self-care: Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual (spiritual does not have to mean religious. It’s whatever it means for you! Spiritual for me is mindfulness, and being in nature.) Different aspects of your self-care can influence different zones. Think about your balance as you move along your journey. You can use these to help structure the answers to the reflection prompts if it helps.
Helen Magnus: How NOT to Do Self-Care
MAGNUS:
I own a villa in Italy, on Capri, near Naples. I go there every seven years.
WILL:
Seven years?
MAGNUS:
Yeah, for a long weekend.
WILL:
Wow, I take it back. You really do know how to unwind.
- Sanctuary, "Next Tuesday"
"Shall we begin," is a quote from Helen Magnus, a character portrayed by Amanda Tapping in the TV show Sanctuary. But Magnus as a character is, perhaps, not the best example of proper self-care. She frequently, and often to a fault, prioritizes others over herself. She hides her pain and her struggles from her friends and family. She overworks herself to the point of burnout. She also has difficulty letting go of control, and though she has surrounded herself with competent people, she often fails to trust them to take the burden off of herself. She even refers to herself, albeit jokingly, as a "chronic micromanager." (Sanctuary, "Sanctuary for None") Self-care is clearly not among the lessons Helen Magnus has learned over her 274 plus years. Will Zimmerman, her protégé, though MUCH younger, has a healthier concept of self-care, prioritizing taking vacations and having healthy relationships.
But a character like Will is quite unique in the sci-fi shows and films we all know and love. Self-care is frequently neglected by our favorite characters. This is for many reasons. They're often in high-stress environments where trauma gets piled onto more trauma. There's usually a very strong sense of duty, which supersedes personal care. They're incredibly busy, with little time, jumping from crisis to crisis. The roles and jobs these characters inhabit come with massive cultural pressure to appear strong. And, even more simply, self-care just wasn't included as a step in The Hero's Journey, a blueprint of storytelling frequently used by sci-fi creators.
We often put huge pressure on ourselves to appear as strong as the characters we know and love, even though those standards are more often than not incredibly unrealistic and unsustainable.
In short, self-care is incredibly important, Magnus. I'm with Will on this one.
Familiar Voices on Self-Care
Let's take a look at how some of your favorite stars, including Amanda Tapping who played Helen Magnus, prioritize their self-care.
Amanda Tapping talks about her ideal "mental health day."
“Getting up at 5, going to the gym....Come home and have a cup of tea, so I don't kill anyone!...Take Riley for a walk in the woods..... Come home and I try to keep busy, sometimes it's just getting together with friends, that connection is super important.... FaceTime with Olivia....if I have time I'm bike riding..."
Watch the clip here, and wind it back for the whole interview.
Michelle Hurd talks about the importance of self-care.
“Self-care is incredibly important… we all know it’s important…it’s one that I have to work on… I think one of my traits which is also a hindrance is that I’m loyal to a fault. I’m generous to a fault…Sometimes… I really just need silence, you know? I just need to maybe curl up on the couch… and just need not to talk and let my face relax…” Michelle continues to talk about her love of certain television, including K Dramas, because they totally engage her.
Watch the clip here, and wind it back for the whole interview.
Journal Reflection
Get the most out of your journal reflection with these steps:
1. Read the question(s) completely and allow yourself to think about them for 1-2 minutes.
2. Take 10 minutes to write your response down in a journal. I'm a big fan of Field Notes, but any paper or even notes app will do!
3. If you're comfortable, share your response, in part or in full, on Bluesky (you can find us here, so make sure to tag us) or in our Discord. It's totally ok if you want to keep your thoughts to yourself, and some weeks that may be more true than others. Do what you're comfortable doing.
This Week's Prompt
This week, we want you to think about your favorite characters from TV and film. I talked above about Helen Magnus and Will Zimmerman, and how they look at self-care. What are other some characters you admire for how they prioritize taking care of themselves? Is it hard to find such characters or easy? What do you think this says about what we as a society prioritize and celebrate? Do you agree or disagree with that?
Book Submission Excerpt of the Week
"Fandom has been an unexpected place for healing. It’s where I have found acceptance, in a world that often feels so far removed from my personal battles. The shows I adore gave me an escape when things felt too overwhelming, and the friends I’ve made helped me through some of the darkest moments."
Tori
Note: Inclusion of submission in the Content Newsletter is no indication of book submission status. The editing and selection process is ongoing.
Companion Tool of the Week
This week we're embarking on a journey of self-discovery. We've got several tools that may help you along the way, including this Weekly Rocket Check-in Calendar. This tool can help you keep track of your mood as you journal. My personal best-practice is to track my mood throughout the week and then take a picture of the calendar at the end of the week. Here's my actual last week's calendar:
I hope you have a wonderful week, Companions! Next week we'll dive deeper on your self-care inventory and the tools, rituals, hobbies, and activities that will help you on your journey.
Best,
Welles
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