Understanding Self-Care
- Apr 27
- 3 min read
The term “self-care” is everywhere, used for marketing and plastered across social media, often inviting us to spend money as a route to “wellness”. In this post, we will explore understanding self-care and what it really means considering how we can personalise the concept to support ourselves.
Origins of the Term “Self-Care”
Although self-care is now mostly known as being tied to wellness spaces, the roots of the concept are political and community oriented.
In the 1950s, the term “self-care” first emerged in clinical settings referring to daily actions patients could take to manage their health. But the term took on deeper significance during the civil rights and liberation movements.
For many activists, especially Black women, self-care was a practice of survival in the face of oppression. Audre Lorde famously described self-care as “self-preservation,” calling it “an act of political warfare.” It was a way to stay alive, stay connected, and stay capable of resistance in systems that demanded exhaustion.
“Self-Care” Now
Fast forward and the meaning of self-care has shifted dramatically. Instead of being connected to survival, it is now often framed around increasing productivity, buying things to prevent burnout and individualising approaches to systemic issues.
Self-care is now packaged as something you buy and we internalise the message: if you’re struggling, it’s your responsibility to fix yourself and you do this on your own by spending money.
This approach rarely helps us in the long-term, but we keep trying because all the messages tell us if we do enough (buy enough) then things will get better.
Whilst there can be some value in practices being sold (I love my meditation app), it is important to recognise that self-care is more nuanced and our ability to take care of ourselves is influenced by wider systems.
What Self-Care Really Means
Myira Khan describes self care as “the practice of meeting needs through self-directed actions, behaviours and thoughts”. We can engage in the practice of asking ourselves:
What do I need?
How will I meet that need?
Real self-care includes (but is not limited to):
1. Resting without guilt
Rest is not a reward. It is a basic human need, one that is often treated as optional or unproductive.
2. Meeting your body’s needs in simple, sustainable ways
Drinking water, sleeping, eating – these might sound too simple to matter but we often struggle to meet our basic needs when we’re struggling with life.
3. Setting boundaries that honour your limits
Self-care sometimes looks like saying no, stepping back, or allowing yourself to just be.
4. Seeking community, not isolation
Caring for ourselves includes leaning on others, asking for help, and building relationships.
5. Making space for pleasure, joy, and creativity
Spending time doing things just for pleasure or joy, to express creativity is what makes life feel worth living yet we rarely allow ourselves time for it.
Why This Matters
When we frame self-care as a shopping list or a productivity strategy, we inadvertently reinforce the same pressures that harm us. When we return to its roots, however, self-care becomes a way to honour our bodies, reconnect with community and recognise our inherent worth.
Final Reminder
You do not have to earn care, and you do not need to buy anything to deserve it.
Finding ways to care for yourself can be challenging but it is a practice of survival, connection, and resistance.
Reflection prompts:
What does self-care mean to you?
What stops you from caring for yourself?
What is one thing you would like to do today that would feel like an act of self-care?
Additional resources:
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