Self-care is a phrase we hear a lot these days, especially on social media. Images of people taking long hot baths, lighting candles, and eating comfort food immediately floods the mind at the mention of practicing self care. 

This type of self-care can be beneficial but it is only a temporary fix. Instead, we should practice something that will stick with us long term, and that’s what radical self care can provide.

But first, what is radical self-care?

Radical self-care is not drastically different from self-care but there are a few differences.

Radical self-care at its core is about taking care of oneself before satisfying the needs of others. Doing this gives you the strength to heal and move forward with your life, according to Indiana State University. 

“Radical self-care is radical self-love. I feel that the practice of radical self-care is to listen to and validate your wants and needs without judgements,” said Terra Bransfield, fifth year double major in dance and psychology.

While self-care involves simple tasks such as getting a facial, eating a good meal, exercising, or watching your favorite netflix show, radical self-care focuses on making decisions that will help us heal our inner-selves and have a lasting impact. 

Shelly Gomez, the senior HUB program executive, credits Angela Davis for her understanding of radical self-care. She quoted Davis, “Anyone who’s interested in changing the world must take care of themselves.” 

It is especially important for those who identify as members of marginalized communities to practice radical self-care in order to deal with everyday social challenges. 

For Gomez, radical self-care became a priority for her once she began her career in criminal justice. “I was working with young folks who had experienced severe trauma in their lives and It was important to me that I was healthy and able to show up as the best version of myself so I can offer the best support for them,” said Gomez.

Radical self-care is an act of self preservation, a way to stay true to your authentic self and to live fully. 

The HUB Cultural Center on campus, aims to encourage students to be their authentic selves. Authenticity is listed as one of the HUB’s core values on their website. “When the parts of ourselves and communities come together in authentic ways we are able to generate more power (energy) and experience greater vitality. When we experience this vitality we increase our capacity to heal, evolve, and act.”

Gomez believes that it’s important for everyone to practice radical self-care, especially students because we juggle many responsibilities while trying to figure ourselves out.

One way students can start practicing radical self-care is by self reflecting. This allows you to identify what you have been prioritizing over your mental health. Once this is identified, you can start practicing prioritizing your wellbeing.

Prioritizing yourself is not always easy. Gomez added, “This is incredibly challenging. Learning to prioritize yourself, without feeling guilty, is a life-skill that I believe is the most valuable.”