You may not have heard the term “self-care” in a 12-Step meeting or literature, but there’s a growing recognition in medical knowledge that self-care is an important part of treating any disease, including the disease of addiction.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), self-care is “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.”
Self-care is work that we do on ourselves - as opposed to work that we do for payment or external compensation or work that we hire others to do on us, such as seeking a medical professional to treat a certain ailment. The goal of self-care is to prevent or control disease and preserve overall well-being with behaviors and lifestyle changes that support or improve a variety of aspects of physical and/or mental health.
Misconceptions About Self-Care
There are numerous misconceptions about self-care, primarily that it is “selfish” or “indulgent.” Many of us were raised with the attitude that prioritizing our own needs was a “luxury” that hard-working people don’t have the time or money to do.
The truth is that - if we are as healthy and happy as we can be - we have much more to offer to our families, our jobs and life in general. In addition, it is our responsibility to take care of our mental and physical health; nobody else can do it for us.
What Self-Care IS
Self-care activities can address any number of things that impact our health, including: personal hygiene, nutrition, lifestyle factors (such as exercise and leisure activities), following medical instructions for medications and treatment of illnesses (including addiction), environmental factors and socioeconomic factors.
Yes, it sounds broad, like anything could be classified as “self-care.” But to practice true self-care, a person must utilize personal responsibility and prioritize their resources in a way that positively impacts their health both now and in the future. Here are some examples of self-care:
Adopting healthy lifestyle habits that can be maintained long-term.
Following medical instructions for the treatment of illnesses and diseases.
Eating a healthy diet.
Finding exercise activities that you enjoy and can make a consistent habit.
Getting an adequate amount of good-quality sleep.
Taking time out to participate in healthy activities you enjoy.
What Self-Care Is NOT
Overindulgence in spending or eating.
Participating in activities that provide instant gratification, particularly if doing so has negative long-term impacts.
Going on expensive and lavish vacations.
Perfecting oneself by any means necessary.
Numbing emotions with alcohol or illicit substances.
Binge-watching television, binge-playing video games or other activities that shut off our own thoughts and feelings so we can “escape.”
Benefits of Self-Care
In addition to the benefit that participants in Asana Recovery are looking for (long-term sobriety), there are numerous other benefits to practicing self-care. Some improvements can be immediate, while others are long-term but you can expect to see some or all of the following benefits:
Reduced stress levels.
Increased sense of self-worth.
Better management of disease and chronic illness (both physical and mental).
Prevention of disease in the future.
Reduction of chronic stress that can lead to future development of certain diseases.
Healthier relationships.
An improvement in job satisfaction.
Reduced susceptibility to burnout.
Overall improved quality of life and well-being.
What Self-Care Looks Like to You
What self-care actually looks like can vary from person to person. For the vast majority of Asana Recovery participants, it will include 12-Step work and therapy. Many people find meditation and mindfulness activities helpful. Making changes for a healthier lifestyle is often a component, but for some people, a “healthy diet” means “vegetarian” while for others, it’s “low-carb” or “keto.”
For that reason, each of us will need to determine what is necessary for our own self-care and plan accordingly. Read this article to learn more about making a self-care plan.
While self-care may seem like an alien concept and even (at first) require “extra work” on your part, the benefits are immense. Once you adopt the change in attitude necessary to prioritize self-care and begin to create healthy habits, you’ll experience improvements in both your quality of life and your ability to work on your recovery.