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If the oxygen masks come down when you’re on an airplane, you’re supposed to put on your own before assisting somebody else. If you pass out, you can’t help anyone — in fact, you’ll be in need of aid, yourself.

This same concept also applies down on the ground.

So, What Does Self-Care Mean?

Self-care isn’t as simple as taking bubble baths and forgetting about your problems. It refers to all actions or activities that improve areas of your wellness.

“The term ‘self-care’ has been misused in our world,” said Dr. Caroline Perjessy, president of the Association for Humanistic Counseling and a faculty member at SNHU who has been practicing as a counselor for more than 20 years. “When people hear that word, they think of spa days — and an extensive amount of time to implement.”

There are small ways you can practice self-care throughout the day, Perjessy said, like noticing your breathing and practicing mindful awareness, which can assist with emotional regulation and highlight how you’re engaging with the world.

“Given this information, we can make intentional decisions about ways to use our attention and energy,” she said.

For your self-care to be holistic, you need to address every area of your wellbeing, not just your mental health. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), there are a total of eight dimensions of wellness (). They include:

1. Emotional wellness
2. Environmental wellness
3. Financial wellness
4. Intellectual wellness
5. Occupational wellness
6. Physical wellness
7. Social wellness
8. Spiritual wellness 

Why is Self-Care Important?

Self-care can improve your relationship with yourself and others, according to Perjessy.

“As we cultivate our self-care practices with ourselves, we become more grounded and purposeful in our activities and behaviors, honoring our finite resources, energy and priorities,” Perjessy said.

Self-care can be especially crucial for those working in the helping professions, according to Dr. Roseina Britton, a licensed counselor and a clinical faculty member at Õ¬ÄÐƵµÀ (SNHU).

“Especially in the work that I do as a counselor, I'm pouring into someone, I'm giving something of service to other people,” she said. “And at times, if my vessel has a crack or a hole or if it's empty, I have to make sure that I take care of that vessel.”

Going back to those oxygen masks on an airplane, Britton noted that you can’t take care of others to the best of your abilities if you aren’t taking care of yourself.

“We often live in a culture that glorifies the hustle mentality, overachievement, perfectionism,” she said. “But in reality, that leads us into a lot of stress, that leads us into burnout.”

What Are Examples of Self-Care?

“Sometimes it can include more holistic actions that help you with your mental, emotional, physical and sometimes even spiritual being,” said Britton. “Sometimes it's really just honoring your limits and protecting your peace.”

According to Britton, self-care can include taking part in activities that make you feel better, taking a walk, lighting a candle — or yes, taking a bubble bath or visiting the spa. But it can also mean focusing on self-growth.

“So that might mean reading a book about personal development, financial development,” she said. “Those are all things that go into self-care.”

Perjessy said any activity that grounds you is considered self-care. In particular, she recommended:

• Being in nature
• Breathing exercises
• Counseling
• Limiting technology
• Movement

She said when you’re grounded, you can engage more compassionately with yourself and others. “This creates a ripple effect, providing more productive and healthier dialogue and resolutions,” she said.

Mars Girolimon '21 '23G is a staff writer at Õ¬ÄÐƵµÀ where they earned their bachelor's and master's, both in English and creative writing. In addition to their work in higher education, Girolimon's short fiction is published in the North American Review, So It Goes by The Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library, X-R-A-Y and more. They're currently writing their debut novel, which was Longlisted for The First Pages Prize. Connect with them on .