Self-Care Myths Decoded
February 16, 2022 - Shauna Jurczak

Self-care is a phrase that seems to get tossed around like it’s the fountain of youth, winning the lottery, and the key to happiness all rolled into one. It seems easy, until you sit down and try to decipher what self-care really means and how it can be incorporated it into your life.

Self-care is defined as "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” (World Health Organization).

Simply put, self-care is a mix of the small, but meaningful steps you take in your daily life to ensure you stay physically and mentally well. Again, you might be thinking, if it’s that simple, why does self-care seem more like a buzz phrase, or an Instagram hashtag, than something you can actually implement in your regular life? Well, for starters, let’s look at some myths and facts around self-care.  From there, you’ll see how easy it is to create your own self-care routine.

Myth 1: Self-care costs a lot of money.

Scrolling social media, it may seem like self-care is only for the rich. Spa days. Girl’s Nights. Vacations. Overly healthy meals. Highlights featuring the perfectly filtered photos hashtaged with #selfcare. As you scroll, you likely can’t help but think, “I don’t have the cash for that! No kidding I can’t get self-care right!”

Fact: Self-Care is in the little things. It’s not a fancy spa day. Instead, it’s the feeling of relaxation you get from the spa experience. That same feeling can easily be attained by taking a nice, extra-long, extra-warm shower with your favorite scented body wash. Self-care also isn’t a big vacation. Instead, it’s in the calm feeling you get from down time. Again, this same feeling can easily be attained by sitting back for a few minutes with your favorite book or by taking a much needed a nap. You don’t need a lot of money at all.

Myth 2: Self-care takes time.

There are a lot of examples out there of how people take care of themselves: going to the gym for 2 hours a day, spending their whole Sunday meal planning and prepping healthy meals for the week ahead, 30-minute morning meditations, nightly journaling...and you wonder, “How in the world do they fit it all in?!”

Fact: It’s not about how many hours you spend on self-care. Have you ever heard about quality over quantity? That phrase certainly rings true for self-care. A 15-minute morning stretch every Monday to kick off the week, a 5-minute meditation to calm your mind after work, once a week journaling when your mind feels heavy, or committing to trying a healthy new meal every Friday are just as much forms of self-care as the others listed above. Even a simple breathing exercise once a day at your desk is a simple form self-care that takes very little time. Forcing time in the calendar for self-care is not the same as making the most of the time you have for yourself.

Myth 3: If You don’t do it every day, it doesn’t work.

Should self-care be something you keep top of mind daily? Sure! Does it need to be a grand production, every day, in order to reap the benefits? No!

Fact: You do not need to practice a big act of self-care every day for self-care to be a benefit to you. “Self-care Sunday” is a thing for a reason! Setting aside a day is sometimes easier than fitting something in every day. It doesn’t need to be a Sunday, either. Maybe it’s a relaxing walk on your lunch break on a Tuesday, or treating yourself to a fancy cup of coffee on a Friday morning to celebrate the end to a long work week. I defer back to myth #2 - quality over quantity!

Myth 4: If you’re not posting about it, you’re not doing it.

It's everywhere. Posts about self-care that make you question if you’re doing right. It sometimes may seem like taking care of yourself deserves extra bragging rights just so you can show everyone that you did it. Took a nap...better post it. Got a facial? Yup, have to post it! Did you even work out if you didn’t post it? Does posting about it make it more real or more effective? No, it does not.

Fact: Self-care starts with yourself. Your workout, your nap, your journal entry, your meditation practice, it’s all about you. You don’t need it validated by others, and you certainly don’t need to post about it to make it real or prove you did it. If you’re taking the steps to care for yourself, the proof will be in the pudding, as they say. Feeling better, and living better, thanks to the benefits of your self-care practice will speak way louder than anything you post about it. Think about you in the moment, not the perfect post you can make after. After all, it’s your self-care, all about you!

Your Self-Care Journey Matters

Self-care is special. It’s a way for you to treat yourself, show yourself a little extra love, and commit to your overall well-being. It doesn’t need to be fancy, expensive, or publicized (that doesn't mean you can't celebrate your self-care wins if you want to though!). Finding the things - those little things - that add up to big benefits in your self-care routine are key to reaping the most benefits.

If you’re new to self-care, start small. Commit to yourself, taking baby steps, and make it a routine. As you get comfortable finding time for the small things in your weekly or daily routine, you’ll see that little moments of self-care are easy, inexpensive, leave you feeling great.

Looking for help with your self-care? Let’s chat! I’d love to help you find your perfect mode of self-care and help you launch into your happiest, healthiest self ever!