Self-Care: Labels

Themes: Quality of life, self-care, preventative healthcare
Helpful for: Really anyone

“Self-care” is perhaps one of the biggest buzzwords right now in the mental health space. But what does it actually mean? Self-care is defined as taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, particularly in periods of stress. It’s really anything that helps you feel better physically, mentally and emotionally. Self-care can often be thought of as whatever helps you feel rested - like time off, a manicure, or a special meal out. But, there’s also many harder tasks - like drinking enough water, attending therapy, and setting boundaries that should be considered self-care.

Self-Care is Like a Laundry Care Label

Self-care reminds me a lot of care labels on clothing. We buy something, check the care label and wash it properly once. After that, how often do we really check the label? We might go through the motions or we might forget as we wear those clothes out. Self-care is a lot like that. Sometimes, we forget to take care of ourselves or share what we need with those around us. When that starts to happen, it’s easy to feel as if no one else cares about what we need - or how to care for us. But here’s the thing - much like that clothing - if we don’t keep the label where we can see it and read it often, then we don’t know how to take care of that shirt… or ourselves.

How to Take Care of Ourselves

What we experience every day is like what we put on every day. The things we wear and the things we do require different care instructions. Self-care is like those labels. We have to do certain things - tasks, healthy routines, etc. - to care for ourselves. When we lay out exactly what we need for ourselves and our loved ones, we all learn how to take care of ourselves and each other better.

Making those self-care instructions easy to read is how we continue to care for each other and ourselves in the toughest times. Therapy is a great place to learn what you need to get through anything that’s going on. Remember, self-care isn’t just a bubble bath or pedicure. It’s really digging into how to take care of yourself when things are tough. Figure out what you need and make your label clear for everyone to see so they can help you when things are hard.