Is There More to Self-Care Than Excessive Wine & Bubble Baths?

The phrase ‘self-care’ has become an expression commonly thrown around that can mean very different things to different people. Around this time of year, conscious self-care may have even made its way into your New Year’s resolutions or goals…but what is self-care, really?  Lately it just seems like an excuse people use to justify their less-than-healthy decisions. “I need to practice more self-care so I’m going to eat 10 cupcakes or drink 3 bottles of wine or watch Netflix for 12 hours or spend absurd amounts of money on things I don’t need…” Just a few examples that might hit too close to home. 

Alas, none of these actions are actually practicing self-care. They’re just excuses. Actual self-care is much closer to self-discipline than you might think. It’s doing the right thing for yourself, even when it seems like the more challenging option, with less immediate gratification. It means staying in when you need sleep. It means taking the time to cook healthy meals. It means making conscious decisions that will impact your future positively. Of course, self-care can also be traveling to interesting places and eating rich food and spending time with people you love­­, but when it becomes a convenient excuse, it’s no longer self-care.