The Top 3 Self-Care Questions Answered

Bring up wellness, and sooner or later, you’ll hear about self-care. We want to know how to do it, and how to do it better because it’s a critical part of our wellness journey. It gives us the opportunity to carve out time and practices for ourselves – without guilt.

But how do you know if your self-care is self-care or something a little negative, like self-indulgence?

TaskHuman coaches are here to support your self-care development, and they’ve answered the top 3 self-care questions, so there’s no confusion in sight. 

1. What is self-care in the first place?

Self-care is anything we do to take care of our emotional, mental, and physical needs. It gives us the energy and balance to serve others, enact our purpose, and avoid burnout or breakdown.

To find the right self-care practices for you, you need to know what you want in the future. Listen as Coach Rebecca Arsena explains:

The key is the future. Good self-care is deliberate. It is planned. It comes from a place of decision, not reaction. When we react, we can derail self-care because we are seeking to avoid something (emotional eating, anyone?)

Coach Tara Mazanec explains:

Supporting your goals is one way to think about it. But consider this view, too: when we practice good self-care, we are working to be the person we want to be in the future.

If you want your future-self to choose healthy foods and not overeat, then the self-care practice of preparing thoughtful, nutritious meals and eating them slowly and mindfully now keeps you moving toward your chosen future.

Listen as Coach Nona Mileva explains:

Choosing self-care rituals that support our long-term goals is critical, but what should those rituals be?

2. How do you practice self-care?

The good thing about practicing self-care is that it’s highly individualized. The bad thing about practicing self-care is that… it’s highly individualized.

That means, what works for one person is a “no-go” for another.

So, what do you do? Coach Kate Butchino gives a good starting point:

As you try self-care strategies, you want to be aware that whatever practice you’re doing drives you toward your goals. You need to regularly check to make sure they are still working too.

Coach Cheri Orndorf explains:

In working to improve our wellness, our needs change. We are not the same as we used to be, so our self-care practices should grow and change too. If they don’t, they can become useless, or even harmful.

Listen as Coach Mia Tarduno explains:

If our self-care practices can turn self-indulgent, then how do we keep them in check?

3. How much is too much self-care?

It turns out, this answer is simple. Self-care needs to be goal-oriented and pleasurable. If it’s not, then it’s no longer self-care.

Coach Dacia Stuhr explains:

So, eating some high-quality dark chocolate after a week of calorie-restriction is self-care (hello, antioxidants!). It’s aligned with your goal of eating healthy and also recognizes that long-term restrictive diets are harmful.

But eating the bag of cookies on the couch every night while watching TV is not. Even mundane tasks can self-sabotage when you’re not in control of them.

Listen as Coach Haley Smith explains:

Self-care comes in as many forms as there are people. If we’re honest with ourselves, we can develop strong self-care routines that serve to strengthen our bodies, minds, and spirits. Practices that support our growth and wellness journeys should be honored and encouraged. Prioritize making time for self-care and reap the benefits.

Listen as Coach Casey Maples explains:

Including self-care into your wellness practice doesn’t have to be complicated, but it should be thoughtful. If you want more expertise on the types of self-care practices that would be best for you, reach out to one of TaskHuman specialists for a 1:1 LIVE video call.

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