Words matter. They matter in our campaigns, matter in the explanations of the stats we share, matter in our conversations.
If you’ve followed for a while, I’m not a fan of “stop the stigma” campaigns for a host of reasons…not the least of which it REMINDS people that stigma even exists, & therefore perpetuates it.
In that same breath, it’s why I really dislike the phrase “self-care isn’t selfish.” From an alliteration standpoint, sure, it rolls off the tongue – just like “stop the stigma” does. But it reminds people of the very nature of what’s wrong w the phrase: “self-care” sounds like you are pampering yourself. That is WHY there is even the need for a campaign “self-care isn’t selfish” to the original campaign “self-care.” When you need a campaign to clarify your original campaign…the original ain’t that effective.
By using – isn’t selfish, just like w the stigma campaigns, we are reminding people of the very thing that is the negative.
Here’s the reality – working on our mental health is not all bubble baths & massages: what one is led to think of when they hear the term self-care. It’s actual WORK. It’s breath work, meditation, yoga, mindfulness practices, havening, tapping/eft, emdr, & so many other exercises. Sometimes it takes sweat, sometimes it takes concentration – JUST like going to the gym for our physical health.
This is why we don’t even use the term self-care. We use STARR (Stress & Trauma, Active Release & Rewiring) Exercises. Collectively we call it the Gym for the Brain. And we work w most of the inventors &/or lead researchers of these practices so we can help folks understand the actual science of why/how they work to help us feel better.
It’s “not negotiable” because we ALL deal w stress & trauma in our lives just like we ALL deal w physical health complications. It’s time we started to talk abt these types of practices as necessary parts of our daily lives, in order to be healthy…as the work we gotta do. They are not luxury items