You Won't Find Self-Care in the Ice Cream Aisle.
Disclaimer: The blog post you are about to read is unfiltered. Read at your own risk! ⚠️
SELF CARE: The practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.
Read that again. Now, let’s talk about it.
I still remember being a kid in the 90s, sitting on the couch after school, watching TV commercials that told me exactly what “self-care” looked like. It was bubble baths, chocolate cake, spa days, wine nights with friends—always indulgent, always a little glamorous. And even as a kid, I noticed that nobody ever mentioned the boring stuff, like flossing, budgeting, or going to bed on time.
Then one day, as an adult, I learned the truth: self-care didn’t start as a marketing trend—it started in medicine.
DIDJA KNOW?
Self-care first appeared in the medical field back in the 1960s. Doctors would prescribe their patients to take actions for their own self-preservation.
These could be really basic things (but ARE they though??) like eating healthy, prioritizing movement, and staying hygienic. The idea was simple: people facing challenges could understand that taking care of themselves was part of getting “well.”
Fast-forward to my 90s childhood. I grew up in the dawn of consumerism, with a completely different idea of what self-care meant—especially when the ad game became all about INDULGE.
Indulge in the extra cake after dinner—you deserve it.
Get that $8 latte.
Wine night with the girls—complete with the extra glass that lets you trash-talk your ex.
Burger King on a Friday because you “earned it” after starving yourself all week.
Binge and restrict. Quick fixes. Capitalism. The list goes on.
Then came Instagram. Self-care turned into an aesthetic. Because let’s be real—bubble baths and cozy blankets photograph way better than paying taxes or setting boundaries.
I remember seeing a quote once that struck me deep in my soul:
“The best self-care is creating a life that you don’t need to escape from.”
That’s what I think we’ve lost. In a world moving this fast, we forget that real self-care is about endurance, not escapism.
So, let’s get back to basics. Self-care was originally just that—basic AF. It’s:
Self-care is:
💪 Going to the gym so you can climb that mountain on vacation.
🥗 Nourishing your body so you feel fueled to handle the day.
💆🏻♀️ Resting when your body needs to reset.
🧘🏻♀️ Taking care of your mental health.
😁 Flossing so you keep your teeth.
😴 Actually going to bed when you’re tired instead of doomscrolling until 1 a.m.
👩🏻🍳 Meal prepping so you don’t panic-eat chips for dinner.
💰 Learning to manage your finances so tax season doesn’t crush you.
🙅🏼♀️ Setting boundaries to protect your peace.
✌️ Leaving the relationship that drains you.
👧 Showing your kids strength so they’ll know how to navigate life long after you’re gone.
Here’s where I want you to pause and check yourself:
If I asked you to list your top five “self-care” habits, how many of them are about building strength… and how many are about escaping reality?
Because the point of self-care has always been to preserve ourselves—so we can be STRONG. For our families, our communities, and ourselves.
Don’t get me wrong—I still reach for the ice cream after a hard week. But now it’s a reward for how well I took care of myself through it, not a crutch to numb what I ignored. We are resilient and strong, and our bodies deserve to be nourished and cared for because we LOVE them.
You DO deserve the facial.
You DO deserve the cake.
You DO deserve that vacation.
But your self deserves those things because you’ve taken care of it—not because you’re clinging to quick comfort after neglecting your needs.
So, what’s one thing you can do today that your future self will thank you for?
Thoughts or questions about self-care? Let’s talk about it!
