Is Self-care Actually #Selfindulgence?

It's the buzzword in the wellness world but we might have taken it to excess...

- Aoife Stuart Madge

You only have to scroll through your social media feed to see how ubiquitous the term ‘#selfcare’ has become. The new buzzed about term in wellbeing, self-care has become a byword for treating yourself. Whether it’s a co-worker seizing a duvet day or a friend treating herself to cupcakes for breakfast, the addition of #selfcare after a guilty Twitter confession can elevate it from a self-indulgent act to a noble feat of mindfulness.

And, while there’s no doubt that we all have a duty to respond to our own needs, especially when we are feeling stressed, anxious or overtired, it seems that somewhere along the line, ‘self-care’ has been adopted as a catch-all term to excuse selfishness.

“The true meaning of self-care is a very deliberate and conscious decision to step back and engage in kindness to oneself,” says Dubai-based health psychologist Dr Melanie Schlatter. “The definition of selfcare has clearly become very warped.”

We are all for pushing the wellness agenda, but it’s all about balance, explains Dr Annie Crookes, a psychologist from Heriot Watt University in Dubai. “The shift in society to measure and enhance wellbeing over purely economic consumption is important and positive. However, with so much promotion and social media hype about self-care activities, the point about balance may have been lost. Self-care is ensuring there is time for yourself in amongst the time you give to others, your work and responsibilities. Selfcare is not selfies, selfishness or avoiding responsibility to others.”