“Self-care is doing anything that makes you feel important to yourself. Maybe it’s taking a bubble bath, or setting a new boundary, or maybe it’s doing the work of becoming your favorite self.” - Amy Stewart-Cooper

I frequently get asked, what counts as self-care?

Does playing sudoku count as self-care? Is eating ice cream self-care? Does watching TV count as self-care?

Anything you do that tells you that you’re important to yourself counts as self-care.

I have a guy-friend with whom I’ve had this discussion. His self-care is taking a bubble bath or cleaning his house; he tells himself that he deserves to relax and to live in clean space.

For me, bubble baths are meh, and I have a deep loathing for housework, so that’s definitely not self-care for me. My self-care is practicing karate: I tell myself that I deserve to have fun and develop my strengths.

For him, working out and athletics are not self-care because that’s something he’s always done for other people. As a kid, he played sports for his dad; he practiced to make his coaches happy and to support his teammates.

So, the activities that you do for self-care are not nearly as important as how you think and feel. Choose activities that make you feel important to yourself.

Frequently, people with ADHD are so busy doing things that we neglect our self-care.

What will you do today to tell yourself that you’re important?