{"id":20181,"date":"2023-01-26T16:10:07","date_gmt":"2023-01-26T21:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?p=20181"},"modified":"2023-03-03T14:43:32","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T19:43:32","slug":"what-is-self-care-psychologically","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/what-is-self-care-psychologically\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Self-Care Psychologically?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a lot of buzz about the importance of self-care. In fact, searches for \u201cself-care\u201d have more than doubled since 2015, <\/span>according to Google Trends<\/span><\/a>. It makes sense <\/span>\u2014 <\/span>after all, we are living through multiple collective crises all at once, so the emphasis on self-care seems to be a coping mechanism.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But what is honest-to-god, real self-care? This isn\u2019t the version that\u2019s popular on social media yet fails to actually improve your quality of life. Rather, it lifts you up mentally, emotionally and physically so you can truly live a life that feels\u00a0 nourishing and good.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You might feel guilty investing in yourself (especially if, like a lot of us, there are other people who demand your time and energy, like family and friends), but genuine self-care isn\u2019t about overindulgence or narcissism. Rather, it\u2019s about pouring into your own cup because you deserve to feel healthy and energized. If you\u2019re not convinced self-care is worth your time, take a look at the evidence: People who practice self-care report <\/span>less stress<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>improved quality of life<\/span><\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n

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Characteristics of real self-care<\/h3>\n

It can be hard to pinpoint true self-care, because it looks different from person to person. What we need to sustain ourselves varies, but these characteristics can help guide you in the right direction:<\/span><\/p>\n