1. What Is Self-Care?

Great question, but the answer may not be simple. Some people say that it is personal health maintenance and includes all decisions people make to stay fit. Others say that self-care means balancing a concern for others with a concern for one’s own well-being, and doing those things that nurture the body and soul. Still others tell us to use common sense, observing that in today's narcissistic society, no one needs to tell us what self-care means.

The definitions and descriptions could go on and on, so perhaps the best way to to understand it is to look at the source of the concept and its vocabulary. The idea of self-care was developed in the 1950s by Dorothea Orem, who grappled with a way to explain and clearly articulate the role of nurses. She reached the conclusion that individuals can benefit from nursing due to the “existence of . . . self care limitations.” Limitations result in self-care deficits, which in turn can lead to health care crises or emergencies. After more than a decade of work and extensive collaboration with other teachers and colleagues, she developed a “Self-Care Framework” which is widely used today to organize a collection of concepts in the field of nursing.

When we understand that the concept of self-care developed from a process to address limitations, deficiencies, and crises, it becomes easier to understand why there are so many definitions for self-care. The meaning adjusts to fit the challenges of each situation.

For purposes of developing a Christian path to self-care on this site, self-care involves addressing the issues and challenges that individuals must overcome in order to have and nurture a relationship with God so that they can answer their calling.

Next: The Care You Need for Your "Self"