self-care
Americannoun
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the act of attending to one’s physical or mental health, generally without medical or other professional consultation (often used attributively).
It’s been a rough week, so this weekend is all about self-care through exercise.
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the products or practices used to comfort or soothe oneself (often used attributively): Taking a bath is a great self-care activity when you’re feeling stressed.
Seeing friends is my self-care.
Taking a bath is a great self-care activity when you’re feeling stressed.
Etymology
Origin of self-care
First recorded in 1860–65
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
However, "That self-care piece is not really an America workplace value," Wigler said.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
"He experiences sleep-wake cycles but exhibits no meaningful interaction and has been dependent on others for all activities of self-care," the judges said, according to legal news website Bar and Bench.
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026
Taking part in patrols and teaching — Cardona is also an adjunct professor at California State University, Northridge — makes self-care a struggle.
From Salon • Mar. 2, 2026
April Marie Holland, a self-care coach and host of the “Handle Her With Care” podcast, has found spending time at Bloom Ranch deeply restorative since her first visit in 2024.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026
Tonight’s been all about self-care for Zoey, too.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
