Recently I was searching for a synonym for the term ‘Self Careʼ, and something  interesting caught my attention; stress management is a term identified as being  related to the notion of self care. Let that sink for just a moment. If youʼre like most  people, the idea of self care is for those who either have time or resources which  buy time. Self care is seen as a romantic notion or a luxury many of us are unable  to afford. Instead, we rely on talk therapy, acupuncture or vacation to combat the  effects of stress. While such options boast their own set of benefits, these outlets  also come at a price in terms of time and financial resources. This mindset takes  us back to square one, the fundamental reasons we lack the motivation for self  care.  

Self care has been defined as “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve  one’s own health”. Examples of self care have traditionally included activities such  as regular exercise, adequate sleep and proper nutrition. While this list might have  sufficed for our grandparentsʼ generation, our current pace of living requires much  

more to keep well. What if I told you that stress costs American employers $300  billion every year on lost work days, lost productivity and healthcare linked to  stress? Americans are not alone, worldwide the numbers are staggering. While the  cause of stress can be multifactorial, there are short term and long term effects of  stress including physical, emotional and psychological manifestations. While itʼs  unlikely that stressors will cease, the only reasonable solution is to change our  response to stressors. Yes we can meditate, yes we can shavasana but we can  also self care our way to a healthier, more fulfilling life.  

There are no recipes or cookie cutter guidelines for self care, and thatʼs the point!  Itʼs a personalized experience, because I would argue that self care is more than  making healthy lifestyle choices, itʼs about showing up for yourself and being an  active participant in your life. Itʼs about dictating how you want to live and making  paramount choices about your life. The key is daily and consistently. For me, itʼs  about spending time in nature, practicing a digital detox once my family is home  together, connecting spiritually every morning before everyone wakes up and  nourishing my body with good nutrition and plant based medicine. Without  integrating self care into the rituals of daily life it becomes another meaningless  task in an already frenzied life.  

Self care: to pursue an active role in protecting oneʼs own health, well-being and  happiness.