Whenever I hear about self care it’s always the same stale advice. Yes, self care is finding a good skin care routine, sleeping in some times, cutting toxic people out of your life..etc. But for me true self care isn’t the “treat your self” mentality or skipping class to take a nap. True self care to me is forcing yourself to do things you might not want to do or that might stress you out, but they will significantly help you in the future.

Self care to some might be loving yourself when you’re over weight or unhealthy. Loving yourself should have nothing to do with your appearance & all to do with who you are as a person. In this scenario, self care for me would be putting myself on a diet I might not be thrilled about & forcing myself to go to the gym. This will change my whole life style & improve my health. Though it may not be what I want to do in the moment it is what I need to do.

School & work can be stressful for everyone. Having a huge project, meeting, or presentation can cause tension & stress to be high. You might work a little bit on your work but then sit back & think “I deserve a treat!” No. This causes procrastination & will only cause stress in the future on top of an already stressful situation. It might not be ideal to sit in on a Friday night & work or to miss binging your favorite show during your down time, but it is what needs to be done. In this case, self care would be getting your stuff done early so that you know you’ve put your best foot forward & you’re ready to tackle this project.

I’m not saying that treating yourself is wrong or that self care can’t be taking a nap & eating some ice cream from time to time. But, that being said, forming bad habits & not doing what you’re supposed to do can not be excused under the term self care. True self care is making yourself a better version of you. Life is about balance, you need to get things done so you can enjoy the moments that are deemed self care. Now get out there, get your work done, & be the best version of you, that you can be.