Although the idea of ‘self-care’ is well-established, our comprehension of it and its importance has changed. The expression was first used in the medical field in the middle of the 20th century to highlight how patients could preserve their health by embracing healthy behaviors. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), self-care refers to the capacity of individuals, families, and communities to preserve, maintain, and promote health as well as deal with illness and disability, either together or independently of medical support. Self-care activities can be done for oneself, assigned to others, or carried out for others or a community directly. At its core, self-care is a complicated concept that stems from people's constant quest for fulfillment, resilience, and balance. Ancient civilizations' ideas of self-care were closely linked to philosophical teachings that emphasized the importance of feeding the body, mind, and spirit. Through a generational lens, this article explores how self-care practices have been shaped by historical and cultural contexts for a range of age groups.
Our voices may discover more about how people prioritize and approach their well-being by looking at these patterns. The short and long-term effects of any self-care habit, as well as an individual's culture, genetics, reward system, and generational values, may all be comprehended through historical self-care narratives. The modern understanding of self-care is rooted in a variety of theoretical perspectives and paradigms and has been influenced by a wide range of social, economic, and political variables.
The kinds of self-care that we value are shaped by culture. Family needs may take precedence over self-care in collectivist cultures, whereas personal fulfillment may be prioritized in individualistic cultures. Taking time off work to care for a sick parent, for example, could be considered necessary self-care in a collectivist society, as well as a way to fulfill a social obligation and promote a sense of belonging. Furthermore, the burden of the "I should" narrative may interfere with self-care. Social pressures have the power to transform self-care into a performance. Another well-known humanistic psychologist, Carl Rogers, highlighted the significance of "unconditional positive regard," which is the idea that one's value is independent of approval from others. However, social pressure to uphold a particular appearance or follow the newest trends can distort one's understanding of self-care. Hours at the gym triggered more by guilt than true enjoyment differs from the fundamental idea of self-nurturing. Comprehending these influences helps us design self-care habits and behaviors that suit our particular needs and values, in addition to being effective.
Abraham Maslow and other humanistic psychologists emphasized the importance of self-actualization and its inherent human drives, and they highlighted how prioritizing one's own growth and well-being is a very integral goal of self-care. Teaching people how to take care of themselves is the best way to enhance personal health, lower medical expenses, and enable everyone to be healthy by choice rather than by accident, regardless of generational differences. The future of self-care may lie in a more nuanced approach that celebrates individuality and a deep understanding of our needs.
Rollo May, an existential psychologist, argues that conformity is the opposite of courage in society, leading to feelings of isolation or anxiety when self-care practices diverge from cultural expectations. This highlights the struggle individuals face in balancing external demands with internal needs. Personal narratives, such as grandparents' stoicism and resilience, parents' "hustle" mentality, and individuals' mindfulness and boundaries, shape our choices. So is self-care truly self-care if it leaves us feeling depleted or disconnected from our core values? What motivates us to follow certain self-care routines? What kind of choices are necessary for "self-care" to be effective? How do these decisions get altered by our culture's emphasis on individualism and collectivism?