By Amie Yansane
In recent years, the term “self-care” has become a popular topic in conversations, both online and in person. When self-care is mentioned, there is often a specific aesthetic tied to it. We’ll see posts from people putting on face masks, maybe after a nice shower, or even someone going on their “hot girl walk” to grab a green juice, followed by a nail or hair appointment. Although these activities are often fun and even methods to lift low spirits, they’re unfortunately not what self-care used to represent. Before the reclamation of the term by younger generations, such as millennials and Gen Z, self-care had its original form starting in the 1950s.
Self-care was first introduced by physicians in the 50s as a method of self-treatment for patients being seen for mental and chronic illness. This treatment included adopting healthy habits such as exercising and adopting proper diets.
During the Civil Rights era, the term took a new turn. The Black Panther Party (BPP) made self-care political in their communities. The political group started by serving their communities and providing access to food and clinics that many had little access to. This act was not only political because the BPP provided the resources many Black communities didn’t have access to, but also because this act of self-care battled the abuse these Black communities faced from law enforcement and the government that opposed them.
Leaders of the BPP, such as Angela Davis and Ericka Huggins, were very consistent with self-care during the Civil Rights era. Both leaders engaged with activities such as meditation, mindfulness, and yoga while incarcerated–all forms of self-care that are still accessible today.
That’s what self-care was meant to be: accessible. It was meant to not just serve yourself, but your community, which was unable to serve itself as well.
Now, unfortunately, the roots of self-care are hidden. The focus is no longer accessibility, but rather exclusivity. It is because the rest we are meant to have does not reward capitalism. That is why it is so demonized when you take a nap and televised when people promote the idea of buying new items and paying for a yoga class. Self-care is the new form of luxury that people may not be able to afford because of its hidden roots.
As Davis, Huggins, and all members of the BPP have shown, self-care is a radical act. Rest and care for the body are what many systems in history have tried to prevent in the past and currently. As we realize these radical roots of self-care, we must recognize the systems that we actively participate in the name of “self-care”. Although the idea of self-care that is publicized by the media can be enjoyable for the moment, it contributes to the cycle of consumerism that we are expected to stay in and tries to replace the rest and nourishment we need. So, going into this upcoming weekend, remember the roots of self-care and try to treat yourself with true rest and self-connection.