Self-care is a privilege, not a right
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
– Audre Lorde, Black, civil rights activist, writer, lesbian, and feminist
These words are important for my role as a Black, female, heterosexual mental health advocate and educator. Her words are gentle reminders of honoring myself through radical self-care is essential to the work in advocating for my clients. Oftentimes, self-care in our Western patriarchal and capitalist society is viewed through the lens of hyper consumerism rather than being seen as a form of self-love. Moreover, self-care requires taking an intentional pause in the chaos and NOT buying a face mask recommended from the latest social media influencer. Interestingly, the false belief that your needs should come first and thinking your needs do come first is a privilege.
While the act of radical self-care sounds accessible for all, many people do not recognize the inherent privilege in indulging in self-care activities. For example, a knowledge worker in the pandemic can afford to schedule two 30 minute “self-care” breaks on their calendar while a low wage earner in a manufacturing industry gets penalized from upper management for going to the doctor. The privilege in this situation is that not everyone has autonomy in their schedule based on class and income level. The right is to exercise your freedom to quality healthcare and access to emotional well-being despite your specific job title.
You are entitled to the basic human right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, free of discrimination (United Nations, 2022). Remember, you have a right to work through past traumas, nourish your body, and develop a deeper sense of self-accountability related to processing emotions, creating boundaries, and building a healthy community with and alongside others.
-Angelique Foye-Fletcher, LMFT
Want more information about cultivating self-care? Check out articles below from other Resolve clinicians: