Self-Care Isn’t a Luxury… It’s a Lifeline

Jul 25

Scroll through social media, and you’ll find “self-care” everywhere: luxurious baths, skincare hauls, vacation snapshots, matcha lattes on sunlit desks. These images aren’t necessarily wrong — who doesn’t love a moment of calm or comfort? But when we reduce self-care to consumerism, we risk forgetting its roots — and its radical potential.

For Black feminist poet and activist Audre Lorde, self-care wasn’t indulgence. It was survival.

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
— Audre Lorde

In a society that benefits from your burnout, prioritizing your wellbeing is a bold and necessary act. Especially in the context of today’s world — with its relentless news cycles, systemic inequities, and mounting pressure to be everything to everyone — self-care becomes more than a buzzword. It becomes a lifeline.

Redefining What Self-Care Means

Let’s be honest: the version of self-care pushed by influencers and brand campaigns isn’t accessible to everyone. It often requires money, time, and aesthetics — things that are unevenly distributed.

But the real work of caring for yourself doesn’t have to cost anything. And it certainly doesn’t have to be pretty.

True self-care is any action, boundary, or practice that reconnects you to yourself…your body, your values, your breath, your humanity.
It’s how we stay tender in a world that can feel brutal.
It’s how we stay awake in systems that want us numb.

Self-Care for All: Practices That Don’t Require a Price Tag

Mental & Emotional Care

Turning off your phone when it becomes too much
Letting yourself cry, laugh, or feel without apology
Journaling what you’re carrying — even one sentence
Talking to someone who sees you fully

Physical Care

Taking a nap, and fiercely protecting it
Drinking water, eating something nourishing
Stretching or moving your body with intention
Going to bed earlier without guilt

Spiritual or Soul-Level Care

Sitting with your breath or lighting a candle in silence
Taking a slow walk outside without rushing
Reading something that makes you feel hopeful
Saying a prayer, a mantra, or a blessing — for yourself, or the world

Collective Care

Checking on a friend and letting them check on you
Asking for help (hard, but holy)
Engaging in mutual aid, activism, or community healing
Letting people see you, even when you're not okay

Self-Care as Resistance

In a world that tells you to keep pushing, self-care can feel like rebellion.

Rest is resistance. Joy is rebellion. Boundaries are liberation.

This is especially true for those living in marginalized bodies — folks who’ve been told they need to earn rest, healing, or care. You don’t need to earn it. You never did.

What Now?

Let’s not shame the bubble baths or the skincare routines. They can be beautiful rituals, too. But let’s remember that self-care isn’t about looking good — it’s about feeling whole.
It’s about resourcing yourself to keep showing up, especially when the world makes that hard.

So take a moment today to ask:
What does care look like for me — right here, right now, with what I already have?

You are worthy of care. Not because you’ve worked hard enough, but because you are human.