International Self-Care Day - July 24
- Andrea Alvarez
- Aug 6, 2025
- 4 min read
What is Self Care?
The dictionary definition of self-care according to Merriam-Webster is “care of oneself.” According to the same source, the first use of self-care was in 1841. Did this mean humans didn’t need it before then? No, the answer is no. Humans have always had forms of taking care of themselves, whether it was bathing in honey or meditation, all the way to exercising and keeping up with your mental health.
How Can I Practice Self-Care?
There are many ways to practice self-care, some of them are:
Eating well
Staying hydrated
Get good sleep
Stay away from negativity and toxicity
Keep your space clean
Don’t be hard on yourself
Eating Well
According to an article by WellSeek, there are 3 main reasons as to why eating well is a great part of a person’s self-care. First, if you don’t eat well or you don’t eat as often as you should, your body cannot function properly and you’ll have very low energy levels. Second, food can help regulate mood, since certain compounds in food contribute to hormones that are in charge of our mood. Specifically, proteins and carbohydrates help in the creation of serotonin, helping us feel happy. Lastly, food brings comfort and satisfaction. When we taste our favorite foods, we get happy or remember certain good parts of life, like your favorite meal which your mom used to make, or the dish you ate when you ran errands with your dad. Ultimately, food has an impact on our mood and our body’s wellbeing.
Staying Hydrated
Ever since life began, water has been essential to keep it, well, alive. When humans are first born, we are about 75% water, and though this varies by gender and other factors, by the time we are adults, we are about 60% water. Many believe drinking water is just supposed to be done when thirsty, but you should be drinking water constantly, regardless of thirst. Water helps with essentially everything happening in your body, from keeping your skin healthy, to contributing to your physical performance and heart health. To stay alive, most forms of life need water, and humans are no exception.
Get Good Sleep
Though you may not realize it, sleep contributes to a lot more than just your energy levels: it contributes to how your immune system functions, which is one of the most vital parts of staying alive and well. Getting enough sleep can boost your immune system, help prevent weight gain, increase heart function, and improve mood and memory. Sleep is an essential part of how we function as human beings.
Stay Away from Negativity and Toxicity
Negative people often bring negative moods and emotions to others, and if you feel this is weighing down on you and negatively affecting you, you can protect yourself from their negative moods. First, you must acknowledge the fact that their mood and your mood are two separate things. You don’t have to be angry because they’re constantly angry, or sad because they’re constantly sad. In the words of Psychology Today, “their negativity isn’t yours to carry.” Second, you have to “accept the mood for what it is.” A mood is just an emotion, and emotions are constantly changing. Sure, the person might be really agitated right now, but they’ll slowly calm down in a bit. Don’t take the person’s bad days and think that’s what they’re always like. However, if they’re constantly in a bad mood no matter what, it might be best to set boundaries or remove yourself from the situation altogether.
Keep Your Space Clean
Though keeping your space clean may seem challenging some days, it has many benefits that make it worth it. It reduces stress levels, it can improve sleep quality and avoid allergies or respiratory problems, boost productivity, stimulate creativity, increase confidence, and finally, keeping your space clean can create a sense of accomplishment and security in your own home.
Don’t Be Hard On Yourself
Stopping negative self-talk like “I can’t do it,” or “I’m not good enough” can significantly reduce stress levels, leading to an improvement in your mood and mental state. To remove negative self-talk, you can try to approach the unfortunate events of life with a more positive mood. Instead of thinking “I didn’t get that job because I wasn’t good enough,” you can think “maybe I just wasn’t the candidate they were looking for, but I am the candidate someone else is looking for.” Stopping negative self-talk can increase life span, lower depression, distress, and pain rates, create a greater resistance to illness, improve both physical and psychological wellbeing, improve cardiovascular health and therefore reduce the risk of stroke or heart attacks, create better coping skills for hard times, and much more!
Conclusion
In conclusion, self-care isn’t just one thing or activity, it’s prioritizing your mental and physical wellbeing, and in turn improving the quality of your life. Please remember to not be harsh on yourself and prioritize your health.
Sources: Cover Image Source
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