Dear Reader,

Taking care of your health doesn’t always feel fun or exciting.

It’s often seen as something we have to force ourselves to do — at worst a daily drudgery, and at best, a routine monotony. In fact, the responsibility of maintenance in general is rarely seen as pleasurable.

That was how I felt about taking care of my health, until I came across the idea of te-ire.

What is te-ire?

Te-ire (手入れ) is the Japanese practice of caring for something through small, regular acts of attention. Not because it's broken, but because you want it to last.

We naturally understand this with treasured possessions. Clothing, cars, and most material objects require te-ire. We don't wait until they're ruined before looking after them.

And the peculiar thing is that we often enjoy this process of taking care of our favorite things.

An act of care worth looking forward to

Te-ire encompasses the idea that we build affection for the things we’ve carried for many years, and we become proud of wearing, using, fixing, and growing with these items.

Maybe it’s something as simple as sewing back the buttons on a jacket we’ve had since high school, replacing the battery of an old watch, or polishing our old silver jewelry to its former shine.

Any act of restoration done with the intent of care, is a way of embodying the spirit te-ire.

There is probably something in your possession that evokes this sentiment. You’ve probably felt and known it before.

And we can have this relationship with our health as well.

How to find joy in taking care of your health again

For a long time, I treated my health like something I only needed to think about when it started going wrong. I'd wait until I felt exhausted, unhappy with my body, or guilty for "falling off track." Then I'd try to fix everything at once.

The problem is that this reactive cycle asks us to rely on motivation, the very thing that's hardest to access when we're already overwhelmed.

Instead, the perspective of te-ire encourages us to care for ourselves through small, regular acts of attention.

Why small acts of care are more powerful than we think

Research suggests that taking care of our health is easier and more effective when we rely on small, repeatable actions rather than motivation or willpower (Source). Over time, these small acts can become part of how we see ourselves: as someone who regularly cares for their health, rather than someone who only responds when something needs to be “fixed.”

Like maintaining and caring for a treasured belonging, although it may seem cumbersome at times, when we slow down to notice, we can also see how acts of care can bring us pride and joy.

Going on a walk, stretching out our legs, eating something nourishing, taking the time to cook something nutritious.

Tiring acts suddenly have the potential to feel a bit more inspiring.

If you have grown tired or stressed by the prospect of taking care of your health, try slowing down to notice what you are truly growing tired of.

Can you see the act through a new perspective?

How might you make it refreshing and exciting for yourself again?

Try to see maintaining your health not as a numerical goal or a physical achievement, but as a process worth loving.

You may find peace and calm in the latter. You may find joy again.

Warmly,

Kaki

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