Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X & Boomers Have Very Different Opinions Of What Counts As Self-Care
Migma__Agency | Shutterstock Our culture has come to think self-care means a pricey spa day, but the World Health Organization actually defines it as anything people do “to promote and maintain their own health.”
Some generations consider self-care a part of their physical health, and others think it’s part of their mental health; none of them are wrong. They just have different opinions based on the world they grew up in.
Every generation does self-care differently.
Back in the day, the mental health stigma held people back from making that part of their self-care. Now, young people can’t imagine thinking about self-care any other way.
Boomers think self-care is about staying healthy in general.
Self-care means something very different to boomers than it does to younger generations. Boomers didn’t grow up when there was a lot of mental health awareness. President of Mental Health America Paul Gionfriddo said this “creates a real barrier” for them to get the treatment they need, both medical and holistic.
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Boomers are also known for being a practical generation that takes their responsibilities seriously. This is most obvious in the way they devote themselves to their work.
They’re more likely to think self-care means staying active and sticking to a routine. They rest as a reward for their hard work instead of making small self-care habits a part of their daily life. The goal for boomers is to stay healthy enough to keep up with the demands of life, not to process their emotions.
Gen X is trying to fit practical self-care into their busy schedules.
Gen X, especially women, are under a lot of stress. As Dr. Lisa Morrison from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy explained, “Many women are dealing with being the ‘filling’ in the middle of the sandwich between looking after children and also caring for older adults.”
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Gen X knows they need to prioritize self-care, but research from the Mathers Institute shows that many don’t spend as much time on it as they would like.
This generation usually thinks of things like exercising and getting enough sleep as the key to staying healthy. They’re also a very independent group. They aren’t really turning to therapy and meditation for their self-care when a few hours alone seems to get the job done.
Millennials created self-care as we know it now, and they’re serious about it.
The stereotypical idea of self-care we all have was basically invented by millennials. They spend a good bit of time and money on all kinds of wellness habits, from therapy to fitness classes to guided journals.
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It might seem excessive to some people, but millennials probably think it’s necessary. The American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2021 Stress in America report showed that millennials were the generation that had the hardest time making everyday decisions because of their stress.
Mental health expert Hyepin Im also thinks millennials’ interest in self-care comes from their better awareness of mental health and the resources they have access to through the internet. The only problem is this might make them obsessed with the perfect images of self-care they see on social media.
Gen Z uses self-care as a mindset to protect their well-being.
While millennials have made self-care about habits, Gen Z considers it more of a lifestyle. An APA survey found that they’re struggling with their mental health, but they’re also the most likely to seek treatment for it.
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Gen Z seems pretty self-aware as well. They know things like their constant exposure to social media are hurting them, so a third deleted at least one app, per a Deloitte survey. And, unlike boomers, they would never think rest is something they have to earn by working themselves to the bone.
The best way to explain Gen Z’s approach to self-care is to say they built on what millennials started. But instead of making it some kind of checklist that might actually stress them out even more, Gen Z is putting themselves first to avoid burnout.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
