Self-Care as Radical Self-Preservation: Audre Lorde’s Vision for Political Warfare

The term self-care has been diluted over time, often reduced to pampering rituals like face masks, bubble baths, yoga classes, or spa days. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with these practices, they barely scratch the surface of what it truly means to care for oneself.

For me, reclaiming self-care as something deeper than indulgence has become a personal mission.

Within the past year, I discovered that the term self-care was rooted in the work of Black activist, poet, and thinker Audre Lorde. For Lorde, self-care wasn’t a luxury; it was a revolutionary act.

One of my favorite quotes from her encapsulates this beautifully:

"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare."

This statement redefines the very essence of self-care. It reminds us that caring for ourselves- especially in a society that actively works to wear us down- is not selfish. It’s necessary. It’s vital. And in times like these, especially in the chaos and uncertainty of America today, it is more important than ever.

In recent years, the wellness industry has commodified self-care, packaging it as a way to escape the stress of modern life. But Lorde challenges us to see it differently: not as a retreat from the world, but as a bold refusal to let the world break us. For her, self-care was about endurance. It was about preserving her capacity to fight for justice, to speak truth to power, and to exist fully in a world that often sought to silence her.

Self-care, in this light, becomes an act of reclaiming agency- over our bodies, our minds, our spirits. Especially for those who live under the weight of systemic oppression, it is not a luxury but a form of resistance. It’s not just about avoiding burnout; it’s about refusing to let a dehumanizing system dictate our worth.

Choosing rest over hustle, nourishment over depletion, presence over perfection- these are radical acts in a culture that demands endless productivity and thrives on our exhaustion.

And self-care doesn’t stop at the individual. Lorde understood that survival, particularly for marginalized communities, depends on collective care. When we care for ourselves, we build capacity to care for others. We create space for healing, rest, and mutual support. Community care becomes the foundation of sustainable activism.

Because the truth is: movements are only as strong as the people within them. When we honor each other's need for rest and restoration, we build movements that can endure. We protect each other’s humanity. We rise, not alone…but together.

To truly embody Lorde’s message, self-care cannot be occasional or performative. It must be a consistent, intentional practice- woven into our daily lives. It must be part of how we live, love, and work.

In my own work, yes, I speak to the joy of pleasure and the beauty of indulgence. But these days I’m more and more drawn to the deeper purpose behind self-care: to show up for ourselves in a world that often doesn’t. 

To live authentically. To heal. To fight for justice with groundedness and resilience.

Because our well-being is worth fighting for.

We are worth fighting for.

Photo Credit: Aidyn Hillyard, hired.org