Self-Care: What Is It and How Can the Library Help?

The term “self-care” may not be new to you, but what does it actually mean? To some extent, its definition can be found in the words themselves; self-care: taking care of yourself.

That is easy to say, but what does this look like in practice? Is it mediation, deep breathing, and taking your vitamins? Is it exercise, good nutrition, and journaling? It is all these things and more. The idea of self-care can be hard to pin down because it changes from person to person—we all have different needs.

So, here is my challenge to you: Take a few minutes. Relax, breathe, and take a good look at yourself. What are your stressors? What are your favorite things? Now write down the things you enjoy. It could be anything—big or small. Here is my list: animals, nature, crochet, reading, coffee, and poetry.

Now, how can we bring these activities into our day? Break things down. Nothing says you must spend an hour doing everything you enjoy all at once. I like to take 5 to 10 minutes every so often for a mini break, and just relax with one of my activities. I’ll open a window or sit outside and watch the clouds float by. I’ll curl up with a book and read a page or two.

Maybe you want to enjoy a five-minute walk to get your blood flowing again, or take a minute to call a friend or loved one just to chat. When you do have more time to enjoy an activity, allow yourself to enjoy it. We all have responsibilities to our work, family, friends, etc., but it is ok to devote time to yourself.

How can the Library help? MCPL has a ton of resources for your enjoyment, such as music through Freegal Music, videos and movies from OverDrive Video and Access Video on Demand, classes to help you develop a new hobby with Lynda.com or Universal Class, and if you would like to know more on the topic of self-care, check out these results from our health and well-being online resources.

Nicole W.
Electronic Resources Department