What is True Self Care?
I think we can all agree that self-care is key to living a balanced life. I asked several people, both men, and women from all walks of life, what self-care meant for them. Answers varied across the board. What is self-care? What does it mean from person to person? It looks different for different people but essentially it is the practice of taking action to either preserve or better your overall health and wellness.
For many, self-care meant focusing on mental, emotional, and physical needs. For others, it meant spending quality time with their loved ones with no distractions. But for pretty much everyone, the most important thing seemed to be taking time for themselves to do things that they enjoyed. For some that was getting out in nature; or it was spending extra time in the shower or cozying up in a blanket with a good book, and for others, it was spending time on their skincare routine. While everyone’s routine varied, most individuals seemed to have the same understanding that it required daily tasks in giving themselves the right fuel.
Tim Carter, founder of Heroic Pictures, from Lehi says that he’s been on his self-care journey for the past six months. He explained that for him it was learning to do the uncomfortable things now and that his future self would be grateful for later on. He says, “There’s a definite need to take care of oneself in the moment, but if all you ever do is live in the moment, there will come a time when you can’t catch up with your past and fix things in the moment. Self-care is future-facing too.”
For Brittany Masters, from Salt Lake and a working mom to a one-year-old, setting time for herself to relax both physically and mentally was important. She says that for her it’s important to spend extra time in a hot shower and to also wrap up in a blanket with a good book.
Self-care can be simple and doesn’t necessarily require you to spend extra money. Just as long as it is something that you’ll enjoy and can feasibly do daily. The key to self-care is to make it a habitual part of your everyday life so that you are never running on empty.
If you’re familiar with Rachel Hollis, motivational speaker and author of Girl, Wash Your Face, you know that she speaks a lot about the importance of intentional self-care habits. She said it best: “It’s simple, intentional habits that allow you to live a healthier, happier, more joyful life.” She also explained that “Most people imagine manicures, shopping, getting together with friends, or if you’ve got the funds… A spa day! There are a time and place for these things -- and I love them all! -- but, self-care is about daily care, not special occasion care.”
Self-care can sometimes be confusing because it’s often portrayed as overindulging or an occasional “treat yourself” day. While these are nice and feel good, unless you are swimming in millions of dollars, it’s not something that the average person can keep up with.
It’s important to remember that true self-care is a daily practice of doing simple things for yourself that help you to feel refreshed. It doesn’t need to be anything extravagant. In fact, extravagant typically can’t be done regularly. Everyone’s self-care looks different from day to day, but they should be things that you enjoy and can maintain a habit of doing.
Incorporating self-care allows you to be in a much better place for yourself. It will allow you to be a much happier parent, a more grateful spouse, and a more fully engaged colleague. When you take care of yourself, you have the energy to take care of others much more joyfully because it doesn’t come at your own expense. When you take care of yourself, you also have the energy to work with more meaning and purpose toward a fulfilling goal. This also means that you are more empowered and better equipped to make the world a better place.
So, if you aren’t already practicing daily self-care and taking time once a day for yourself, I encourage you to figure out what that looks like for you. Take a little bit of time to plan out your week, fit in a little bit of physical exercise, curl up on the couch and read a good book, or listen to your favorite podcast. Make it personal to you, but find a self-care routine you can use daily.
