Great Escape
When Self-Care Turns into Self-Sabotage
Bubble baths and massages can do more harm than good
It’s safe to say that self-care is having a moment. More and more, it seems like everyone is espousing the importance of sleep, saying no, and “treating yo’self” as much as possible.
As a social worker and coach, I talk all the time about the importance of self-care. Many people scoff, roll their eyes, and tell me they don’t have time to meditate for 20 minutes or extra money to spend on yoga and massages. Fair enough. I, too, used to think that self-care was all about taking a day off and getting a pedicure. It’s understandable, since we’ve been fed a very narrow view of what self-care actually is — the pursuit of “me time” — by companies eager to sell us on wellness retreats, bath bombs, and expensive gym memberships.
Just because something feels good doesn’t mean it’s helping.
Self-care can include these luxuries, but it’s better defined as self-management activities designed to enhance your well-being. Self-care is any habit, practice, or action that is under your control, deliberate, and self-initiated. In the 1980s, the World Health Organization first described self-care as “the activities individuals, families, and…
