The Importance of Self-Care

We hear “self-care” used a lot all around us. But what exactly is it, where did it emerge from, and how do we practice it?

What is Self-Care?

According to self-care theorist Dorothea Orem, self-care is something people do to maintain well-being. It’s done through self-care agency, or the ability to engage in self-care. Factors like environment, socio-cultural orientation, age, gender, can effect how much one takes care of themselves along with how much physical activity, rest, water intake one has on a regular basis.

The Modern History of Self-Care

The modern notion of self-care started in the 1800s. In one way, it arose out of the American values of self-reliance and individualism. And the health reformers of that time perceived that sickness could be prevented through individual responsibility.

Around a century later, in the 1950s, self-care became pondered as a theory in the field of nursing by Dorothea Orem, a nurse from Baltimore, Maryland. The theory was finally published in 1972 and became known as Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory. According to this theory, self-care is an ability to maintain health and well-being. Most people on average have the ability to care for themselves. However, when this ability is crippled by neglect, then it becomes the nurse’s job to help.

While self-care was being theorized in nursing discipline between the 50s and 70s, it was in the 60s where the concept became redefined as a political act. The ills of sexism, classism, and racism were believed to have contributed to poor health among the oppressed, such as women and Black Americans. Due to the lack or support and representation during that time, people from these marginalized groups would take their health into their own hands— by opening their own clinics— all in order to fill in the gaps that the oppressor-led medical institutions couldn’t fill. Meanwhile, the concept of wellness as self-care began trending among medical professionals due to disappointment with failures in Western medicine. As a result, the holistic fitness-style of self-care was created, and became the main definition of “self-care” throughout the 80s and 90s. The political flavor of the term wouldn’t appear again until after 9/11, when the trauma left upon American society led to an increase in holistic fitness activities to cope. Eventually, two decades later, it’d have another political shift nostalgic of the 60s, when once more, it’d become a commonly talked about concept within American minority communities. This would propel it to become a buzzword on social media to be picked up globally in the popular sense that we know today.

The Importance of Self-Care

Even the experts need to practice self-care. In a commentary published in the journal Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, the writers note how self-care is needed even amongst psychologists. Some psychologists may feel a sense of invulnerability to issues with their own mental health due to having studied and obtained skills within the field, causing them to overlook possible distress. Yet, according to the Ethics Code of the American Psychological Association, workers in the psychology profession need to be aware of how their own health affects those they help. In fact, those in any helping profession should pay special attention to their mental health and engage often in self-care.

How to Practice Self-Care

Self-care is practiced when people take conscious action to replenish themselves either physically, intellectually, or spiritually.

1. Physical Self-Care.
Engaging in activities that promote physical wellbeing, such as going to the gym, eating nutritious dishes, or getting a massage.

2. Mental Self-Care.
Doing things that engages one intellectually, such as reading or taking classes.

3. Emotional/Spiritual Self-Care.
Connecting with the self, others, and experiences beyond the physical. This could be done through listening to music, spending quiet time alone in prayer, yoga, or during walks in nature.

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Sources:

1. Gonzalo, A. (2021, March 5). Dorothea Orem: Self-Care Deficit Theory. Nurse Labs. Retrieved from: https://nurseslabs.com/dorothea-orems-self-care-theory/

2. Levin, L.S. and Idler, E.L. (1983). Self-Care in Health. Ann. Rev. Public Health. 4:181-201

3. Taylor, S.G. and Renpenning, K. (2011). Self-Care Science, Nursing Theory, and Evidence-Based Practice. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

4. Current Nursing. (2020, March 12). Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Theory. Current Nursing. Retrieved from: https://www.currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/self_care_deficit_theory.html

5. Harris, A. (2017, April 5). A History of Self-Care: From its radical roots to its yuppie-driven middle age to its election-inspired resurgence. Retrieved from: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2017/04/the_history_of_self_care.html

6. Barnett, J. E., & Cooper, N. (2009). Creating a culture of self-care. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 16(1), 16–20.

7. Hill, R. Y. (2011). Nursing from the Inside Out: Living and Nursing from the Highest Point of Your Consciousness. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Article by: Jonathan A. Watson