Self-care is one of the most essential aspects of life, mainly because it’s such a broad concept. What is self-care? How do I know if what I consider self-care is actually good for me? The answer to both of those questions are: it’s up to you. No one has the right to dictate what should and shouldn’t make you happy.

For example: my form of self-care is eating tons of sweets, playing video games, and taking naps, and I acknowledge that the first thing is somewhat unhealthy. 

But do I care? No. Because it’s my business and it’s what makes me happy. If I gain a million pounds then so be it–that’s a problem to future me to worry about. To me, self-care is indulging in the things that comfort me, things that make me happy. 

The keyword is me, so therefore nobody else has any room to dictate what brings me happiness. Everybody finds happiness in different things, whether it be food, hobbies, or anything really. Just because it’s not your cup of tea doesn’t mean you have the right to get on people for it.

Let people enjoy things! 

It’s so laughably easy to just leave people alone and let them do their thing. You wouldn’t want someone to offer their input on something when you never asked for them to, so don’t do it to other people. 

Some forms of self-care may be weird or pointless to you, but it could possibly have more meaning to the person; maybe it doesn’t just bring them happiness, but also is just one of the few things that motivate them to get out of bed and face what the world has in store for them every day. You don’t know what goes on in other people’s lives or their heads, so it’s a bit insensitive to judge them on something when you don’t know the extent of its’ meaning to them. It’s OK to just go on about your day regardless of how strange these forms of self-care may be to you, and I strongly encourage you to do so.

It’s elementary school logic: treat people how you’d like to be treated. You don’t like being judged, looked down upon, or excluded because you have different interests and hobbies, so don’t do it to others. It’s an act that requires the smallest amount of kindness and decency.