Image copyright. Tracy Smithers.2026
WHAT IS SELF CARE AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Have you heard the term SELF CARE and aren’t quite sure what it means? Or perhaps when you hear the term SELF CARE, your thoughts are, I don’t have time to care for myself right now. I have too many responsibilities and people to care for.
Or perhaps you believe that SELF CARE is selfish and an excuse to be lazy! I invite you to take some time to read this post.
I am writing this post not just as a counsellor, but also based on my own experience. I would like to start with sharing some experiences of how a lack of SELF CARE can impact you and your life if your SELF CARE needs are neglected.
These are my experiences, and everyone is different, so I am not suggesting that if you do not demonstrate SELF CARE it will impact you the way it did me. Equally if there are days when you ‘forget’ to practise SELF CARE it’s going to have a detrimental impact on your life. This example is to demonstrate if over a period of time your own SELF CARE needs are neglected it can impact your life.
Finding a balance hasn’t always been my strong point, although I am getting better at it! Twice in my life, I have had M.E also known as Chronic Fatigue. The first time I was around 14 years old, at a time when very little was known about it. Later, when I was 28, having been better for about 10 years, I came crashing down with it again. Whilst everyone will have a different experience of this, one of the reasons behind this is a belief that those with M.E/Chronic Fatigue reach a point of burnout and exhaustion, partly from lack of self care. My experiences of having M.E impacted my life in many ways. I missed a lot of schooling, didn’t work, and I missed out on a lot of different life opportunities.
Over the years, I have heard many people make comments about people being tired all the time, and some have even mentioned laziness in reference to M.E/Chronic Fatigue. As someone who has experienced this illness twice, I understand the challenges those who experience this or similar illnesses face.
Far from being lazy, what I think is common regarding those living with M.E/Chronic Fatigue is they can be hard working, perfectionists, who place undue pressure on themselves and push themselves to BURN OUT. So what has M.E/Chronic Fatigue got to do with SELF CARE.
It is my belief, both professionally and personally, that illnesses like M.E/Chronic Fatigue can be partly impacted when we neglect our own SELF CARE. I would like to clarify at this point that there are many contributing factors to M.E/Chronic Fatigue, and I know that SELF CARE isn’t the only thing that impacts this. However, by practising SELF CARE, this can make a difference to our health, which in turn can benefit us in all areas of our lives
WHAT IS SELF CARE?
Self care is ensuring that you take steps to ensure that your physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing is protected, cared for, maintained and nurtured. By actively practising and ensuring your SELF CARE needs are met you will be better placed to be able to manage life, responsibilities, and relationships.
SELF CARE can enable you to re charge your batteries and make sure you are physically, mentally, and emotionally fit and energised to manage life, day to day responsibilities, and relationships.
DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF SELF CARE.
SELF CARE isn’t just taking care of one thing. It is about ensuring a range of different aspects are taken care of. Just as a car needs a range of things to operate to be able to drive it, we need different aspects of things to operate fully for us to work smoothly
Some aspects to consider when thinking about SELF CARE are the following
PHYSICAL SELF CARE.
Sleep/Rest
A balanced diet
Drink plenty of water
Being active
Fresh Air
Are the environments you spend time in safe and healthy?
MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL
How do you manage stress, worries, and anxiety?
Who are your SUPPORT NETWORKS? Who can you talk to when life feels too much? Who can you ask for help when you need it?
Relationships. Are you being treated lovingly and respectfully?
WORK LIFE BALANCE. Do you have a good work-life balance? Are work responsibilities or other responsibilities impacting your ability to practise SELF CARE.
Mindfulness
Setting BOUNDARIES
Writing things down/Journaling
SOCIAL/SPIRITUAL SELF CARE.
Taking time to reflect/meditate. Giving yourself some head space
Spending time with loved ones
Social groups or spending time within the local community
PRACTICAL SELF CARE.(By ensuring you take practical steps to ensure your needs are met will reduce any potential stress and anxiety in the future.)
Ensuring you seek medical advice/support if you require it (Sometimes seeking medical support isn’t easy; however, it is important you do so if you have any concerns.)
Managing your physical environment. Is it comfortable/safe? Does it enable you to actively practice SELF CARE
Managing finances
SELF CARE is a very personal thing. There is no right or wrong way to do it. We are all different, and as I say to my clients, YOU KNOW YOURSELF BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE. The key to good SELF CARE, is doing it rather than IGNORING IT. As long as you are doing some SELF CARE for yourself, that is the most important thing. SELF CARE is an important part of life. However, there is no perfect way to do it, just what’s right for you at the time.
I am the first to admit, I don’t always do as much as I could, but I keep working on it. I am a big believer that mind and body go together, and when I start feeling tired and overwhelmed, and sometimes a bit emotional, I know I need some SELF CARE.
One of the things about SELF CARE, I have come to realise, is that it’s not just about doing it, it’s about recognising when YOU DO NEED IT!