The World Health Organisation has defined self-care as “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider”. We generally see this term in reference to mental health; it can and should also be applied to physical health (such as managing chronic illnesses). However, you would be forgiven if you believed that self-care was simply binge-watching a new series on Netflix, and reading a couple of self-help books. Company after company has capitalised on our need to look after our wellbeing. A simple search for ways to manage your physical and mental health flag up pages like Bustle’s “19 items to buy for your mental health because self-care isn’t always free”. The following studies highlight the fact that self-care as we know it, is increasingly becoming no longer accessible to all, but a luxury.
Hughes et al. (2020) conducted a qualitative study comprising of a sample of 20 NHS outpatients with conditions such as chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Through interviews and focus groups, the aim was to study how the participants perceived and defined self-care. A key finding to focus on, were the perceived barriers to self-care: lack of motivation, and socio-economic factors. The participants reported that lack of motivation was a bigger barrier if it was a symptom of their condition. In terms of socioeconomic factors as a barrier, the participants reported this was due to being unable to afford self-care activities, and being unable to travel to certain activities. An individual who has a low socioeconomic status, is less likely to be able to afford self-care activities such as specialised therapy, the gym or a spa day — all activities that can help to support physical, mental, and social wellbeing.
Adding to this body of research, Adkins-Jackson (2020) conducted a study to investigate the effect that socioeconomic status (SES) has on self-care. The participants (223 Black women) rated how often they completed a selection of 47 self-care activities. Unsurprisingly, SES did have an influence on self-care, specifically, the higher the participant’s SES, the more self-care activities they reported to practice. Furthermore, SES had the greatest impact on the following activities: striving for balance, scheduling regular activities with their children, and finding ways to laugh, activities which require money, time, and resources to be able to fit them into one’s daily routine. These findings are particularly important when we put them into the context of the misogynoir faced by Black women daily, and when you couple that with the classism faced by those of a low SES (as well as other forms of discrimination), the need for regular self-care in these communities becomes all the more apparent.
It is important to acknowledge that there is a certain level of privilege afforded to those that can routinely practice self-care activities such as taking vacations, eating healthily, taking time off work when needed, and getting regular medical care. This isn’t to say that we should all stop using bath bombs and face masks. However, I think it is worth reflecting on what self-care has become in recent years. In particular, how can we implement strategies to manage our physical and mental health, and use coping mechanisms that aren’t buying the latest product marketed towards us in the name of #self-care.
References:
Adkins- Jackson, P.B. (2020). How socioeconomic status influences self-care for Black/African women: A differential item analysis. Preventive Medicine Reports, 20, 101155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2020.101155
Hughes, J.G., Sharma, R., Brough, N., Majumdar, A., & Fisher, P. (2020). ‘The care that you give to yourself’: A qualitative study exploring patients’ perceptions of self-care. European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 40, 101246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2020.101246
Thorpe, J. (2015, Feb 2). 19 items to buy for your mental health, because self-care isn’t always free. Bustle. https://www.bustle.com/articles/61921-19-items-to-buy-for-your-mental-health-because-self-care-isnt-always-free
World Health Organisation (2019, May 15). What do we mean by self-care? https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/self-care-interventions/definitions/en/
