Is taking care of yourself considered to be self care? What does it really mean? In today’s culture, self-care has been made into a million-dollar industry. Everyone wants to sell something to you in the name of “self-care.” But what is self-care and why is it a frequent topic of discussion?
Self-care is simple. It means taking care of yourself. However, in movies, we tend to see it represented as women who suddenly realize their self-worth, or come out of a depressive episode going through a massive transformation in their outward appearance, to reflect their internal space. They retouch their hair, fix their nails, and spend tons of money on skin care products. They join a gym, change their wardrobe, and then they are good as new. The idea being propagated by a lot of these industries is that self-care means spending money and looking good. And that’s not to say that an outward change in appearance doesn’t positively influence your mental state and confidence, but why does taking care of yourself equate to material things?
When you think of taking care of yourself? What crosses your mind?
Taking care of yourself or self-care should be any action geared towards increasing your overall wellness. It’s an action that gears you towards putting yourself first, and in turn, uplifting your spirits.
Self-care can look like the following:
Creating boundaries:
It’s tough to create boundaries, especially as a chronic people-pleaser. Being a people-pleaser could appear as the inability to say no, taking on more workload than you can handle, and even permitting disrespect in the name of “understanding.” Creating boundaries is especially hard when you struggle with communication. Creating boundaries means you are caring for yourself enough to honor your needs and desires. A good example of a boundary is telling a co-worker not to touch you when you don’t feel comfortable with that. It could also be telling someone off for intruding in your privacy.
Switching to whole foods, fruits, and vegetables instead of spending money on skin care:
The immune system is greatly influenced by what we eat, drink, or swallow. Researchers have discovered that taking your gut health off-balance can lead to skin irritation such as breakouts, eczema, and others. Getting your skin right, depending on your skin issues, can be as simple as eating right and taking some probiotics.
Prioritizing your needs too:
Consistently pushing aside your needs for someone else’s is not the healthiest for you. Caring for yourself is recognizing the need to sometimes actively do the things you want and those that make you happy. Remember that you must be balanced enough to be able to adequately give to someone else.
Starting therapy:
We carry so much trauma within us; trauma passed down to us from generations prior, trauma from childhood, and even trauma from the shaky dating world. Our trauma influences our perspective of the world, and in turn, our decisions, which then influences our reality. Although a lot of African women shy away from therapy, based on the idea that therapy is only for those with deep mental issues, it is absolutely necessary to resolve our day-to-day issues, to develop coping mechanisms, and healthy emotional regulation. Therapy is great for self-awareness, and in turn, self-regulation. Sometimes, people fail to see themselves and their actions until it is pointed out by someone else. Seeking out a therapist is a good first step towards healing.
Other forms of taking care of yourself or self-care include:
- Fasting and detoxing
- Working out
- Journaling
- Learning time management
The most appropriate mode of taking care of yourself is according to what you need, and not what others say you need.