“Treat Yo Self”! A Counselor’s Thoughts on Self Care
“Treat Yo Self”! A Counselor’s Thoughts on Self Care In season four, episode four of one of my favorite shows, Parks and Recreation, two of the characters, Donna Troy and Tom Haverford introduce me to one of my favorite phrases: “treat yo self”! Their part of the episode is focused on how every year, they have one day dedicated to treating themselves to all sorts of fine, and fun things, such as cupcakes, new clothes, new perfumes and more. Now here’s the thing, Donna and Tom’s extravagant, all day spree may be a smidge excessive (and expensive) for people like you and I. However, what if I told you that not only you could embody the “treat yo self” mentality, but you also should? As the title suggests, the “treat yo self” mantra can be embodied everyday, by utilizing self care! Self care is the idea that people need to regularly engage in activities that promote wellness, especially during times of stress.
Self care has been a concept since it was coined in the 1950s, but it became a far more popular concept during the pandemic. With the pandemic leaving so many people feeling burnout, and isolated, a light was shined on the importance of taking care of not only your physical wellness, but your mental and emotional wellness as well.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) identifies eight different dimensions of wellness: emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, environmental, financial, occupational, and social. SAMHSA has a really wonderful document that breaks down what the different dimensions of wellness mean, and ways to increase wellness in each of these dimensions. I will provide the link at the end of this post, and I highly encourage you to check it out!
Throughout the SAMHSA document, there are tips and suggestions given that align with self care in every dimension. Now, I don’t know about you, but when I first heard about self care, I thought of someone taking an extra long bubble bath with a face mask and smooth jazz in a candlelit bathroom. Thing is, while that’s a totally valid way to practice self care, it does not have to be that luxurious or complicated for everyone! One of the biggest barriers I hear people have difficulty with is the idea that self care is purely a “luxury”, and something you can only occasionally “treat yo self” to. That’s just not true. Self care is an important part of maintaining your health, and should be treated as such. Just like you need to brush your teeth, or sleep for at least seven hours a night for physical health, you need self care for overall wellness!
In contrast to the bubble bath (which, by the way, is a totally valid way to have self care!), self care can be very simple. The key with self care is making sure it’s tailored to YOU! Do you feel like quality time with friends helps you recharge? Awesome! Self care could be arranging a time to hangout with your friends once a week. Do you like having some alone time with a good book? Heck yeah! Curl up with your favorite novel. Self care will look different to different people because we are all different, and different things can recharge us, and bring us comfort.
The best way to ensure self care becomes a part of your routine is consistency. Be sure to plan into your daily, or weekly schedule when you are going to practice self care, and stick to it! If you feel like life is too hectic or busy for self care, well, that’s the perfect time to engage in it! Self care is meant to be enjoyable, tailored to you and to make you feel good both during, and after you do it. Now, I am not a psychiatrist, and by no means do I have any ability, or authority to write a prescription. However, I will be writing one for you, dear reader. Your prescription: Engage in self care today because, in the words of my favs Donna and Tom, you deserve to treat yo self!
