It’s Time to Redefine Self-Care

At Sanity & Self, we’ve adopted a new definition for self-care and we think the whole world should get on board. We think that self-care should be defined as…whatever type of care you need at any given time.

We realize this may seem a bit radical of an idea, so hear us out.

If you need a bubble bath, a glass of wine, or a massage then that is absolutely the self-care you should seek out. Absolutely nothing wrong with it! If you need a day curled up under a warm blanket binging the latest season of Grey’s Anatomy or This is Us, hey GO FOR IT and pass the ice cream while you’re at it.

But, on the other hand, if you need to learn how to manage your anxiety in a new, more effective way. Or you need to manage stress, get over a heartbreak, date smarter, make new friends then we believe passionately that is the self-care you deserve.

We believe that first and foremost self-care should be personal and personalized. That it should be as unique as you are, it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all situation. Just like going to the doctor doesn’t result in us coming out with identical prescriptions, self-care shouldn’t be the same for each of us.

We think that self-care should be–has to be–whatever you need for it to be in your life at the moment. Self-Care is caring for yourself, your whole self, from the inside to the outside as often as you need to.

If for you that is is talking to a therapist, or listening to an amazing audio session about how to Give Less F#cks, or Get Over Your Ex, or a guided journaling session then that’s what your self-care should look like.

If you need to get more sh!t done, or you need to reconnect with your inner creativity, or start a new exercise routine, or literally anything your mind, body, and soul are crying out for that is your self-care.

If your sex life is not setting off any fireworks for you, then learning how to have a more satisfying sex life is your personal need, and you should be empowered to meet it by caring for yourself.

If you’ve lost your spark, or find yourself stuck in an unhappy or unhealthy situation, then getting the type of care that helps you overcome those hurdles in your life is what self-care is for you, at least today.

We think that true self-care can and should help you gain peace of mind, discover and love yourself, get better sleep, heal, become more grounded, more confident, and more insightful about what we want and who we are in life.

We also realize that our lives are busier than ever, meaning we need more self-care and have less time for it in our daily routines. That’s why we believe that caring for ourselves shouldn’t feel like just another thing stressing you out on your to-do list, but instead should fit neatly into your already packed day. We believe that rather than feeling like you have to do self-care you should feel like you get to do self-care. Like nourishing your soul, or giving yourself permission to care about yourself at least as much as you care about all the other people in your life for a few minutes every day.

It’s Way Past Time for a Revolution

Self-Care has become a multi-billion dollar industry but when you look at what’s in that marketplace most of it (the vast majority of it!) is lotions and potions sold to us by men wearing suits. Lotions & potions are great, we personally have a bathroom full of them. But we don’t think that smelling great, and looking great is the only type of self-care we need.

The fact is that most of us do more for other people every day than we ever do for ourselves. That has us running on fumes, and feeling burned out day after day. Something has got to give, and it can’t be us. Right?

By carving out a few minutes a day to give yourself what you need you can return to your day filled with notifications, emails, to-do lists and forgot-to-do lists with a new focus, more energy, and a bigger appreciation of who you are and what you do.

In case it’s not obvious yet, we think you’re pretty amazing. We also think you do a ton of amazing things every day for everyone in your life and we think it’s about time you did some of those things for yourself. So we’ve gathered a team of experts to talk to you through guided audio sessions or unlimited messaging. Each and every one of our amazing experts is here with just one mission in mind. Help YOU be the best YOU that you can possibly be.

So, what kind of self-care do you need today?

 

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About the Author

Angela Keck is the content & community manager for Sanity & Self. You can always find her hanging out on the Real Convo tab of the app, on our social media pages, as well as right here on the blog. In addition to being passionate about self-care, Angela is also a wife, a mother of two, and a writer (in her spare time).