Defining “Self-Care” Past the Clickbait: What Really Qualifies as Rest and Healing
Instagram will tell you the key to self-care is buying a trendy wellness product, listening to a podcast, or doing an extravagant daily skincare routine. The concept of “self-care” has been blown out of proportion — and into the hands of money hungry businesses who may not know what’s best for you.
Sure, there’s merit in using your favorite face mask or splurging on a new candle — there’s nothing wrong with that. The problem begins when we expect external objects to fix our mental state, anxieties, and burnout.
From a mental health perspective, “self-care” is about connecting with the deeper levels of ourselves to support our physical, mental, and spiritual health. The part that social media ads can’t capture is that self-care differs from person to person. My self-care is going to look very different from yours because we’re recharged and inspired by different things.
Some key components of self-care are general wellness decisions, like exercise, eating healthy, and prioritizing movement in our daily routines. Other avenues of self-care are directed to the touchstones of who we are. Maybe that’s listening to your favorite music on your drive home from work, prioritizing time to socialize with friends after work, or snuggling with a pet. It could be going to church and carving out time for prayer, journaling, or meditating on goals and gratitude.
Whatever grounds you qualifies. There’s no limit to what’s beneficial, so long as the activity, time, or space is offering you energy and peace that you can’t find from other sources.
It takes time to define what works best for each person, so don’t feel pressure to know what self-care is your perfect fit. These things can change over time as we learn more about ourselves or as our environmental needs change.
Searching for your perfect routine? Here are a few ways to identify what may help in the near future.
Make a list of your favorite things — food, media, places, people, whatever you feel fits the list (do this with gratitude for each addition and you’re already practicing a little bit of mindfulness!)
Pay attention to when you feel the most like yourself, or the most calm, in your daily routine
Make a point of noticing the little things throughout your day — that could be the way your morning coffee mug feels in your hands, the feeling of the wind in your windows as you drive to work, or the exhale that comes when you get into bed for your nighttime routine
Think of something that’s inspired you in the past. What was the source, and why did this stick with you?
Calling attention to the things that uplift us is just one way to begin identifying our unique values, energizers, and needs as we evaluate what self-care looks like. If the journey to self-care feels daunting and especially difficult, a professional can help guide you toward a beneficial routine.
For more information on the services provided at Chicago Center for Behavioral Health, click here.