Everywhere I go, I always hear that students should take time for self-care to avoid burnout. Self-care is referenced in academic settings or by therapists, and it’s all over social media. Some people make jokes that shopping is their self-care or going out on a Friday night. The definition of self-care gets lost in translation. It has gotten to the point where I couldn’t define it, and I’m unsure what I should do. So, I have decided to educate myself and others by breaking down what self-care means. What counts and what doesn’t? Is it truly ambiguous?
Breaking down the definition
According to WHO, the definition of self-care is, “The ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health-care provider.”
Breaking this down, it falls on any group, not just individuals to promote self-care. So although that version of you doing face masks counts for you as an individual, there are things your family or community can do collectively which is considered self-care. I feel like people think self-care is a personal task. However, your friends and family can be a part of self-care for you or a collective action of self-care.
The second part of the definition gives the purpose. It must be the actions of promoting health, preventing diseases, maintaining health, and coping with illness and disability. Health is an ambiguous term as we can infer it to mean mental, physical, and social health. This is where we can interpret our self-care because what promotes health for one person is not the same for the next. Essentially the SparkNotes of what I am taking away from this is that anything that will promote, maintain, or cope with health can be considered self-care. Those are the core aspects of a self-care activity.
The last part is with or without the support of a health-care provider. I wanted to take a second to highlight this because your self-care isn’t determined by a doctor or therapist. Not everyone can afford that care. But, it doesn’t prevent you from having self-care! Doing it alone or with the guidance of friends and family is perfectly okay. Don’t feel discouraged because you may not have a therapist to share or work through self-care ideas with.
self-care Examples
Now with that definition in mind, here’s a breakdown of a few ideas that do count as self-care. Take this as an idea of potential self-care activities or a guidance of what things are considered self-care.
- Making healthy lifestyle choices like exercise, changing diet, or drinking more water.
- Quitting bad habits: Quitting smoking, vaping, drinking, or working towards taking these activities in moderation versus every day.
- Self-monitoring: Going to the doctor to check symptoms, annual visits with gynecologists, or follow-ups on diagnosed medical issues.
- Activities that promote mental health: Journalling, visiting a therapist, or socializing with friends.
- Maintaining a routine: Getting a good sleep routine, weekly exercise, or a strong work-life balance.
- Maintaining physical health: Skincare can count as self-care because it provides physical health benefits to one’s skin or maintains mental health due to the effects of good skincare.
Self-Care don’ts
It may seem based on the definition that self-care can be just about anything because you can argue it’s for your mental health. However, activities that simultaneously hurt or deteriorate physical health will not count.
- Addiction: Alcohol, smoking, or nicotine addictions may provide small boosts in energy but in the long-term harm mental health and are NOT self-care.
- Isolation: Social isolation may seem like protecting your peace but retreating from positive relationships with friends and family can harm you. It is not self-care to retreat from meaningful relationships.
- Screentime: A little Netflix movie binge in bed can be considered self-care after a stressful weekend. However, obsessive levels of screen time for social media apps or your phone in general are harmful. Beware if you are crossing the line into overwhelming phone usage.
- Obsessive diet culture: Do not confuse caring about what you eat with self-care. Eating disorders or diet culture are not examples of self-care if you are neglecting your body the nutrients it needs.
- Shopping: Excessive consumerism is not self-care. It harms your financial health which can be a part of overall health. Don’t confuse being a shopaholic with taking care of yourself.
Conclusion
Overall, it’s a fine line between what is and isn’t self-care. The line borders when things go excessive or become addictions. In your self-care journey, be patient with yourself as you find what works for you. Don’t feel guilty about putting yourself first. Hopefully, this article will help you kickstart that journey!