If you’ve flown on a plane before, you’ve probably heard the following safety instruction before your plane took off: “In the event of a loss of cabin pressure, air masks will drop from the ceiling. Secure your own mask before helping others.”

Secure your own mask before helping others.

That’s a powerful bit of insight into our daily lives, but it might feel counterintuitive. So many of us are focused on helping others first, and only when we’ve done that work do we take some time for ourselves. That’s all backwards, though. We can’t help others if we’re so burned out, run down, and exhausted that we have nothing left to give--or as Myrth’s founder, Emma McLaren, is fond of saying, “You can’t pour water from an empty cup.”

you can’t pour water from an empty cup.

Self-care is the way we prevent that burnout from happening. It’s a regular practice of monitoring our own well-being, noticing when we feel depleted, and doing what’s necessary to restore ourselves. It’s also a trendy buzzword and, as so often happens when a word gets bandied around the internet, its meaning has gotten a bit fuzzy.

“Self-care is a radical idea. It is about taking care of yourself when the world is actively working against you.”

Here are 6 myths about self-care. We’re going to bust each one of them.

Self-care is Selfish.
“Self-care” and “selfish” both have the word “self” in them, but that’s about as similar as they get. Just ask the dictionary. Selfishness is about tending to your own pleasure or enjoyment at the expense of other people. Self-care is about meeting your own basic needs so that you are better able to help meet the needs of other people.
Self-care is Expensive.
Self-care doesn’t have to involve a day at the spa or a fancy vacation. In fact, the internet is full of ideas for free or inexpensive self-care.
Self-Care is Frivolous.
The concept of self-care hit the mainstream a couple years ago and, since then, has often been conflated with the wellness industry. When it started out, though, self-care was a radical idea. It was about taking care of yourself when the world was actively working against you. At its core, that’s still what self-care is about: a radical decision to tend to your personal needs.
Self-Care is Something You Don’t Have Time For.
The busier you are, the more you need some self-care! It’s a powerful tool for counteracting the effects of stress. Having a support system where you can check in every day will help you stay consistent with habits like morning meditation or journaling (even just a few minutes a day will help).
Self-Care is Anything That Makes You Happy.
Sometimes, it seems like self-care is all about facials and bubble baths and eating some ice cream. Those can be forms of self-care, sometimes, but self-care is about more than that. It’s about doing the things your mind, spirit, and body need to feel whole and nourished. That might be going for a walk after work, making sure to spend regular time with a treasured friend, or finally making that dentist appointment you’ve been putting off (don’t worry, you’re not the only one). In fact, self-care might not feel great in the moment, especially if it means having to do something uncomfortable, but if it will help you feel better in the long run, it’s still self-care. Remember, just because you don’t feel like doing it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it if, in the long run, you’ll feel better once it’s done. Don’t let reluctance be an excuse to stay stuck forever.
Self-Care Takes a Lot of Effort.
For some people, self-care might involve extensive routines and lots of time--but it doesn’t have to be that way. Making small, consistent, daily changes (five minutes of meditation every morning, taking a little time each afternoon for a cup of tea and watching some birds, or stretching every night before bed, for example) can be transformative. What matters is the consistency. Take a little time every day to take care of yourself.

If you’ve found a self-care practice that has been particularly meaningful or helpful for you, we’d love to hear about it. Drop a comment below and share!