Parenting

This is a guest post by author Amber Trueblood, MFT, MFA. She is the author of Stretch Marks and a mother-of-four. What is self-care? You’ve probably heard the term thrown about a lot over the last few years, as many people, including celebrities and influencers, have spoken about the importance of building a good self-care regiment. And while self-care has become a bit of a lifestyle “trend,” that doesn’t change the fact that true self-care is a vital part of living a happier, healthier, and less stressful life. And who doesn’t want that? So to that end, Amber Trueblood provides some tips on differentiating between surface self-care (the stuff that might feel or look like self-care on social media) and true self-care (things you do for yourself that actually improve your mental, physical, and emotional well-being.) What Is True Self-Care? True self-care provides lasting effects, which refuel you emotionally and physically longer than the time you’re actually doing the activity. Take exercise for example. If exercising for an hour a day only improved that one hour of your day, you probably wouldn’t do it at all. But the effects are ultimately cumulative. The more you exercise regularly, the better you feel throughout your