Self-Care: What Is It, Really?
It seems impossible to get through a single day without hearing the term “self-care” these days. It would probably take no more than 60 seconds of Instagram scrolling to stumble on a “self-care” post or ad. But what is self-care really? With so much buzz, the term seems to have lost some of its intended weight and meaning.
Oxford defines self-care as: “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.” There is a lot of information packed into that short definition, so let’s break it down.
Self-care is a practice, meaning it’s something we do come back to repeatedly, habitually, not just once. This also means we get to experiment with it! What felt supportive two years ago, or even yesterday, may not feel supportive today. On the flip side, something you loved as a kid and haven’t done in 20 years may be just what the doctor ordered. How can you use your self-care practice as an opportunity to check in with yourself on a deeper level?
Self-care involves taking action. It’s important to remember that there are many ways to take action. In addition to forms of self-care action that come to mind more readily (e.g., exercising, problem-solving, taking a bath), we are also taking action by simply pausing to check in with ourselves or by making a decision (such as the decision to rest).
Self-care may be used toward preserving or improving one’s own health. This is a big one, and one that is often missed in our society. Due to the pressure many of us feel to be productive and achieve, often in multiple areas of our lives simultaneously, self-care tends to be underutilized until we’re struggling. Shifting to self-care as maintenance and preventive care, rather than a lifeboat, does require a concerted effort but often begins to feel more comfortable with time.
Self-care can seem daunting, so it’s important to remember that it doesn’t need to be big or elaborate. Below are a few ideas for quick, simple ways to weave self-care into your day without it feeling like something else on your to-do list:
Pausing for a deep, intentional breath between activities
Putting on music to liven up mundane tasks
Recalling something that recently made you smile
Doing one yoga pose or stretch