What Is Self-Care, and Why Is It So Important for Your Health?
Self-care is all about looking after yourself. It means taking the time to tend to your physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional well-being. Practicing self-care is really important in itself, and it will enable you to help and care for others, work well, and do all the things you need to and want to accomplish in a day: in other words, be the best version of yourself.
Paula Gill Lopez, PhD, an associate professor in the department of psychological and educational consultation at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, says the need for self-care is obvious. “We have an epidemic of anxiety and depression,” she says. “Everybody feels it.”
Self-care is part of the answer to how we can all better cope with daily stressors, explains Kelsey Patel, a Los Angeles–based wellness expert. It’s work stress, the stress of trying to keep up with the pace of daily life, which technology has hastened more than ever. “People are feeling lonelier and less able to unwind and slow down, which makes them feel more anxious and overwhelmed by even the simplest tasks,” Patel says.
Read on to learn more about self-care, including why it’s important, what it entails, and how it can benefit your overall health.
According to this definition, self-care includes everything related to staying physically healthy — including hygiene, nutrition, and medical care when needed. It’s all the steps you can take to manage the various stressors in your life and take care of your health and well-being.
Self-care does not mean the same thing for everyone. Different people will adopt different self-care practices, and even your own definition might change over time. “What is self-care for one person will likely differ from someone else, and what’s self-care for you one day might not feel like self-care another day,” says Marni Amsellem, PhD, a licensed psychologist based in the greater New York metropolitan area.
Regular self-care may help you put your best foot forward. “When we are regularly taking care of ourselves, we are better able to react to the things that go on in our lives,” Dr. Amsellem says. “It’s something we do to maintain positive well-being.”
As self-care has become more mainstream, the definitions have started to become more about general well-being and tend to focus on tuning in to one’s needs and meeting those needs. “Self-care is anything that you do for yourself that feels nourishing,” says Amsellem.
“That can be something that’s relaxing or calming, or it can be something that is intellectual or spiritual or physical or practical or something you need to get done,” she says.
There are a few categories of self-care. The main areas it tends to include are physical, emotional and mental, and spiritual.
“Self-care could be anything that floats your boat — anything that puts a smile on your face,” Dr. Gill Lopez says. “Anything that makes you feel cared for, even if it’s you caring for yourself.”
Here are four of the main categories of self-care.
This includes all the things that help you relax and give yourself the time to decompress. It can include self-talk, weekly bubble baths, saying “no” to things that cause unnecessary stress. It can simply mean giving yourself permission to take a pause, or setting up a weekly coffee date with a friend. Perhaps it’s lighting some candles and listening to your favorite records, or reading a book in the garden. Whatever makes you feel happy, calm, and de-stressed.
This could mean things like prioritizing sleep, and practicing good sleep hygiene. It might be adopting an exercise routine you can stick with, or choosing healthy and nourishing foods over highly processed ones.
Spiritual self-care includes spending time in nature, meditating, or even just incorporating regular acts of kindness into your day. Some people choose to keep a gratitude journal, and if you practice organized religion, this could mean attending a service or ceremony as well.
Mental self-care is also crucially important. It can mean doing things that keep the mind active and sharp, like learning a language, or a new and interesting subject. Puzzles and mind training games are also a great way to stimulate your mind and practice mental self-care. It can also involve practicing acceptance and improving self-love.
There’s absolutely no exact science to self-care, because everyone has their own definition. The underlying rule is that it should be something that brings you sustained joy in the long run, Courtney says.
Though there are plenty of examples of self-care that seem to tread a fine line between a health-enhancing behavior and self-indulgence, self-care doesn’t have to be about padding your calendar with luxurious experiences or activities that cost money.
Consider a manicure or a massage or any other pampering activity. It might seem indulgent, but if the activity helps you de-stress and carve out time for yourself, it counts as self-care, Amsellem says. If weekly manicures or monthly spa days are beyond your means, they will likely add stress to your life in the long run, so there are plenty of other self-care practices you can adopt.
“Self-care does not have to cost anything — it’s just doing things you enjoy. And a lot of the things we enjoy or feel fulfilled from cost nothing,” Amsellem says. “Stepping outside and taking a deep breath, for example, might be the greatest act of self-care.”
If you don’t have a lot of time, you can work acts of self-care into your daily routine. You can try being more mindful of your thoughts on your commute to work, or maybe you find ways to make daily tasks, like showering, more enjoyable. Pick a soap with a scent that you love, and focus on the physical sensations of the shower. What does your shower smell like? What does it sound like? How does the warm water feel on your skin? It’s about being mindful and present. “For about 10 minutes in the shower, which I have to do anyway, instead of letting my monkey brain run wild, I’m right there,” she says.
Daily chores like making your bed in the morning are also examples of self-care — or can be. “This is where that individuality comes into play, because for some people there is no way making a bed feels like self-care — it may just feel like a chore,” Amsellem says. But if it helps you claim your day and gives you a sense of accomplishment early on, you’ll have that with you even if the rest of the day gets derailed, Amsellem says.
Many common self-care practices have been linked to longevity and other positive health outcomes, says Ellen K. Baker, PhD, a psychologist based in Washington, DC. There’s a lot of research, for example, showing that exercise, yoga, and mindfulness are supportive of mental and physical health, she says.
The following self-care practices have a strong, well-researched link to a longer life.
There are many ways to get started with a self-care routine. Determine which activities bring you joy, replenish your energy, and restore your balance. The following may provide a good starting point.
Practicing self-care doesn’t need to be a heavy lift right out of the gate.
Here are a few ideas for activities that could help ease you into your self-care journey:
Note: If you read this and feel a sense of demoralization or sadness from the challenges of mounting or establishing a self-care practice, it’s best to get help and support. There may be barriers to caring for yourself from past trauma, mental health issues, or family situations that may be making it more challenging to get started.
Seek support from trusted counselors and behavioral health providers (like a therapist), a trusted primary care doctor, or a close friend.
Self-care means taking proactive steps to tend to your physical and emotional health, helping you cope with daily stress and improve overall well-being. It's not about self-indulgence, but activities that bring joy and help you feel balanced. Start small by incorporating daily practices that rejuvenate you, like mindful breathing or setting daily intentions.
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