Why I’m Sick Of “Self-Care”: A Rant

First things first: self-care is super important. If your physical, mental, and financial health aren’t being looked after, it’s all but impossible to take care of other things — your work life, family members, relationships and friendships. As they say, you have to fill up your own gas tank (or recharge your batteries, or put on your own oxygen mask) first before you can attempt to take care of others.

But self-care isn’t the same as “doing whatever I want without consequences.” And unfortunately, this is something a lot of people on ~the internet~ get wrong. Sure, self-care can include nights in taking bubble baths, or taking off work when you’re physically or mentally unwell. These are ways we take care of ourselves, both little and big. But self-care also has to include things that aren’t so pleasant or easy. Doing your taxes, for example, or eating more vegetables than you’d maybe like to. Resting is self-care, but so is exercising. Self-care should be about the actions that make your life better in the long run — not just in the moment. That’s right: retail therapy should never really count as a form of self-care.

In our most recent episode of The Financial Diet, Chelsea dives into all the reasons she’s sick of the internet’s version of “self-care” — and how we need to start redefining what it means for ourselves. Head over to the TFD YouTube channel to hear what she has to say!

Image via Unsplash

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