What does Self-Care mean to you?
By: Sydney Fiorentino ‘24
You hear the term self care a lot on social media, in conversations with friends, or in the hallways as you walk to class, but what does self care really mean? Is it going to the gym or a hike? Sitting and watching Neftlix? Does it require spending money?
“Self care” is where you take time to yourself and take action that betters your mental and physical health. A formal definition from the World Health Organization is that, “self-care is the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.” Essentially, it’s a way for you to relieve the stress and chaos in your life.
So what does that look like? In practice, it looks different for everyone. You get to decide what helps you relax. There’s no formula. Since self care looks different for everyone, here’s some inspiration for how to get started.
Surround Yourself With Friends or People Who Make You Happy
If you are an extrovert and get energized by spending time around others, go for it! Self care includes meeting your social needs as well. If you work independently or study alone all day, spending time with people that make you happy can be extremely important for creating a sense of connection and combating isolation. To change it up, have a picnic or grab coffee with a friend. Meeting your social needs is necessary and can count as self care.
Go Outside
Sometimes, all you want to do is get out of your house after a hard work or school week. Go to a club, restaurant, or the beach. Changing your environment can be extremely helpful to give yourself a new perspective.
Have a Relaxing Night In
If you’re craving quiet time, plan a night alone. Sometimes when I socialize a lot I need to recharge, and one way of doing this is watching Hulu and baking. I love baking because it helps me destress and forget about all my homework or problems. The tactile activity offers me a chance to detach from the world, my problems, and my phone to solely focus on one thing. You can do anything that makes you happy at home and have it be self care.
Try a Face Mask and Take a Nice Bath
Pampering myself is one of my favorite forms of self care. If you don’t like face masks, try painting your nails or following a gentle stretch routine. These activities leave me feeling confident.
Do Anything You Need to in the Moment
I can’t stress enough that self care can be anything: running, biking, napping, cooking, binge watching, going to the dentist, setting boundaries, journaling, taking yourself out on a date. As long as you're working towards improving your mental or physical health in big or small ways, you can quantify it as self care.
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