The hottest Self-care Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Health & Wellness Topics

I tried David Chapman's chronic-fatigue-defying six-mile run. It worked.

Human Programming • 984 implied HN points • 19 Mar 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. A deliberately chosen, intense bout of exercise (a six-mile run) coincided with a rapid and sustained improvement in energy and function for a week, suggesting some post-viral fatigue can be overturned by action. This hints that perception and mindset may play a big role in how fatigue is experienced and responded to.
  2. Slow, deliberate reintroduction of activity—running, climbing, and light lifting—combined with social support and small, repeated successes helped rebuild confidence and physical capacity. Accepting mild soreness and testing limits in controlled ways provided useful disconfirming evidence against the fear of permanent relapse.
  3. Significant caution and uncertainty remain: this approach is not medical advice and may not work for everyone, with real risk of post-exertional malaise or setbacks. The safest path is to monitor symptoms closely, proceed gradually, and reduce activity if things worsen.

'Aging is another word for living'

What Do We Do Now That We're Here? • 4220 implied HN points • 11 Oct 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Aging should be seen as a natural part of life, not something to fear or fight against. Embracing the changes can lead to more joy and freedom.
  2. Taking short breaks for self-care can really improve your mood and relationships. It's important to carve out time for yourself, even if it's just a little.
  3. You don’t always have to keep your options wide open. Sometimes, making firm choices can lead to more happiness rather than feeling stuck in endless possibilities.

My Favorite Mistake

Between a Rock and a Card Place • 2651 implied HN points • 13 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Self-care
  1. Making mistakes is normal and everyone does it. It's a part of learning and growing.
  2. It's possible to feel proud of making only a few mistakes instead of focusing on the negatives.
  3. Being kind to yourself about mistakes can change how you view them. It helps to celebrate small wins instead.

It's Very Possible To Be Both Happy And Well-Informed

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 3073 implied HN points • 21 Feb 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. It's possible to be well-informed about the world's harms and still experience real happiness and gratitude.
  2. Don't find happiness in pretending everything is fine. Root it in real things like close relationships, the natural world, your senses, and the calm inside you.
  3. Practice feeling emotions all the way through and deliberately noticing beauty; these skills let feelings pass quickly and let you live joyfully while staying honest about reality.

Un protocole de ménage

L'Atelier Galita • 259 implied HN points • 23 Oct 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Cleaning can feel overwhelming, but focusing on just five categories of clutter can make it easier. These are trash, dishes, laundry, items out of place, and items that have no place.
  2. It's okay to be messy sometimes, as long as everything has a designated spot. Being organized doesn’t mean everything looks perfect, but it does mean you can find what you need.
  3. A simple cleaning protocol can help you tackle messiness without stress. Breaking chores into small, manageable steps makes maintaining a clean space much easier.
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My experience with hypnotherapy for post-viral fatigue/pain/fear

Human Programming • 12 implied HN points • 26 Mar 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Hypnotherapy can externalize and reframe symptoms, turning a persistent fear-driven ‘‘red field’’ into something removable and replacing it with a reassuring image that makes movement feel safer.
  2. The sessions taught simple, usable tools like vagus-breathing and quick visualizations that provided comfort in moments of anxiety or fatigue, even if daily routines didn’t always stick.
  3. Reducing fear and building small amounts of self-trust helped restart a positive recovery cycle where more activity led to more confidence and further recovery; the therapy acted as useful momentum rather than a sole cure.

Ménage et autocompassion

L'Atelier Galita • 119 implied HN points • 24 Oct 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Self-compassion is important when it comes to managing your home. Instead of feeling ashamed about the mess, try to view it as a sign of being alive and engaged in life.
  2. How you talk to yourself about cleaning matters. Focus on the benefits of having a tidy space rather than judging yourself morally for not keeping up.
  3. Everyone has different skills when it comes to cleaning. Recognizing that it's a learned ability can help you feel less pressured and more at peace with your own cleaning journey.

Meditation Without the Woo-Woo

Life Since the Baby Boom • 1844 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Meditation is simple and practical — you don’t need special clothes, classes, or religion; just sit comfortably in a way that feels right for you.
  2. Focus on your breath and observe its sensations; when your mind wanders, gently bring it back without berating yourself.
  3. Practice mindfulness in daily life by doing what you are doing, and use simple breathing techniques like box breathing or 4-7-8 to calm and center yourself.

How to ask AI better health questions

Your Local Epidemiologist • 209 implied HN points • 13 Mar 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Roughly 230 million people ask ChatGPT health questions every week, so AI is already a major health resource for patients and providers.
  2. There’s a growing need for simple, practical guidance on how to ask chatbots about health, so tips, webinars, and resources are being developed to help people frame better questions.
  3. AI can make mistakes when triaging or giving medical advice, so treat its answers cautiously and don't rely on it for definitive medical decisions.

7 mythes sur le ménage

L'Atelier Galita • 119 implied HN points • 22 Oct 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Cleaning as you go is a hard skill that not everyone can master right away. It's better to find a cleaning method that feels right for you, rather than stressing yourself out trying to keep up with others.
  2. It's not about keeping things clean for someone else's approval. Cleaning should be about helping yourself feel better and more comfortable in your space.
  3. Organizing your home doesn't have to be about making it look pretty. What's important is that it's functional and works for your lifestyle.

how to trust yourself

bookbear express • 1133 implied HN points • 29 Jan 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Trust yourself to know what’s right for you, and learn to live with and forgive both your own mistakes and other people’s.
  2. Talking, confession, and analysis won’t always fix the inner mess — embodied practices, movement, and small everyday routines are what ground you.
  3. Stop chasing approval and fearing others’ reactions; when you stop needing to be saved or fixed you become more honest, calm, and free.

Need a few days off

In My Tribe • 455 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. A switch from Benadryl to Flonase led to an unusually strong reaction to the steroid medication.
  2. That reaction produced a big increase in appetite and racing thoughts, making it hard to concentrate.
  3. They plan to take a few days off to recover their focus and expect to resume posting soon.

Let's make 2024 the year of saying no to productivity culture

Changing The Channel • 8730 implied HN points • 04 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Taking time to rest and relax is essential for our well-being, even if it goes against the pervasive productivity culture.
  2. Rest should not be tied to productivity but should be seen as a natural cycle to be honored.
  3. During challenging times, like January, it's okay to embrace the idea of taking a break and not succumb to the pressure of always being productive.

Building Narratives Around Challenging Experiences

Human Programming • 51 implied HN points • 12 Mar 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Sometimes the best choice is to not publish a painful story because putting it out gives it more life than it needs.
  2. Small, simple narrative bridges—brief acknowledgements or redirects—are often enough to recognize difficulty and then move attention to the present.
  3. Reframing hardships as opportunities for growth can improve mental health and lower stress-related inflammation, so focusing on what you’ll do next supports recovery.

How To Heal When The World Is On Fire

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1364 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Healing is not the same as feeling safe; it starts by moving into uncomfortable feelings and fully experiencing them instead of trying to escape them.
  2. Healing means tracking reactive habits back to their first moments, listening to and compassionately soothing the small parts of yourself that developed those defenses, which dissolves their power over you.
  3. You can and should start healing now, even amid chaos, because it clears reactivity, restores intuition and agency, and makes you more effective against oppressive systems.

Bite Me, Hailey Bieber

The Unpublishable • 11733 implied HN points • 20 Jun 23
🪞 Fashion & Beauty Self-care
  1. Skincare trends promoting 'glazed skin' may lead to damaged skin barrier
  2. Excessive external moisture can make skin more sensitive and prone to issues like redness and acne
  3. Consistent use of moisturizing products may weaken the skin's ability to retain moisture

A Weekend Electronics Respite

Tom Ryan, Author • 5640 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. The author advocates for periodic breaks from electronics to enjoy solitude and reflection, touting the benefits of disconnecting and connecting with nature.
  2. There is a promotional subscription offer tied to the author's break from electronics, encouraging readers to subscribe and support Best Friends Animal Society.
  3. The author plans to use the time away from screens to focus on spiritual or reflective activities, such as fasting, pondering, and engaging in 'soul work.'

Don't Use Menopause to Excuse Mediocre Men

The Vajenda • 7979 implied HN points • 09 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. It's important to recognize and address anger and frustration, especially when facing inequality in relationships.
  2. Blaming menopause for relationship issues absolves men of accountability and perpetuates harmful stereotypes.
  3. Prioritize self-care and know when it's crucial to stand up against mistreatment in relationships.

The dumbest and best productivity trick

Subtle Maneuvers • 5719 implied HN points • 11 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Productivity trick: Create a space of forced boredom to focus solely on your work.
  2. Establish a routine: Allocate dedicated time daily for writing or creating without any distractions.
  3. Find joy in your work: Focus on tasks that bring you joy and fulfillment rather than making work unnecessarily difficult.

Living In Dirt

The Unpublishable • 7724 implied HN points • 13 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Take time for self-reflection and consider letting go of the pursuit of perfection in various aspects of life.
  2. Sometimes, finding freedom and happiness may involve stepping away from strict routines and allowing yourself to be more fluid.
  3. Allowing yourself to let go of control can open up space for new experiences and perspectives to come in.

Coping Strategies

The Audacity. • 7567 implied HN points • 07 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Organizing can be a satisfying way to cope with writer's block.
  2. Taking up a hobby like baking during work breaks can help with productivity.
  3. Managing emails can be both efficient and anxiety-inducing for a writer.

Holiday practice

Austin Kleon • 5275 implied HN points • 12 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Self-care
  1. Artists need to create to feel their best. Taking breaks is okay, but too long without art can make life harder.
  2. Finding small ways to practice art during busy times, like the holidays, helps keep us feeling whole. Even a little time for creativity matters.
  3. Making space and time for creativity is key. You can get creative with when and where you practice, like being active when others are asleep or using portable materials.

Wet Legs At 5AM

Everything Is Amazing • 1221 implied HN points • 09 Nov 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Going back to school as an adult can be tough, especially sitting in class with much younger students. It feels awkward but can also lead to funny experiences and stories.
  2. Waking up really early and facing unexpected challenges, like wet jeans, can lead to wild and uncomfortable moments. Sometimes, these tough situations turn into memorable adventures.
  3. Sleep can be influenced by many factors, including comfort and safety. It’s interesting to think about how different environments affect our ability to rest well.

A FAT TALK Love Note

Burnt Toast by Virginia Sole-Smith • 6505 implied HN points • 03 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. The author's book Burnt Toast became a New York Times bestseller, leading to emotional reactions and celebrations.
  2. The community's support played a crucial role in the book's success, impacting various individuals and professionals in positive ways.
  3. The author expresses gratitude and pride for the collective effort that contributed to the book's achievement.

Granted: The case for slow replies, and insights on facing fear and finding hope

Granted • 6149 implied HN points • 01 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Weekends and holidays are for rejoicing, not just for recovering from burnout.
  2. Anonymous gestures of hope, psychology of anxiety overcoming, and impact of daily interactions are key to finding hope and facing fears.
  3. Slow email replies do not indicate lack of care; it's often a result of overwhelming work demands in an 'always on' culture.

The Body as Referee

Seven Senses • 399 implied HN points • 21 Jul 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Our emotions and stress levels can really affect our bodies. What we feel inside can show up as physical pain or illness.
  2. It's important to listen to our bodies and recognize our limits. Sometimes, our bodies know we need a break even if our minds don't realize it.
  3. Balancing hard work with self-care can be tough. It's okay to take a pause and rest instead of always pushing ourselves to keep going.

You can't be too happy, literally

Experimental History • 21278 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. People tend to stay at the same level of happiness over time, despite major events happening around them.
  2. Research shows that individuals adjust to both good and bad situations, aiming to maintain a balance in their emotions like a thermostat.
  3. The mind has control systems like a furnace and an air conditioner that help modulate mood levels to prevent extreme states of sadness or euphoria.

Activist Exhaustion and Monty Don

The View from Rural Missouri by Jess Piper • 2567 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Sometimes taking a break from activism to engage in a calming activity like gardening can help rejuvenate and refocus your mind.
  2. Engaging in gardening or similar activities can be a form of work that brings peace and joy, without the stress of politics or activism.
  3. Finding moments of beauty and relief in nature through gardening can provide a sense of sustenance and rejuvenation amidst the challenges of activism.

True Strength

The Stoic Journal • 86 implied HN points • 10 Feb 26
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Real strength is quiet: it looks like responding to anger with patience, insult with understanding, and aggression with calm.
  2. Gentleness and listening persuade people more than shouting; treating someone with respect reveals their dignity and opens them to change.
  3. Not attacking back protects your character and shows true power under control. The strongest people don't need to prove their toughness.

How to stay sane

Striking 13 • 3693 implied HN points • 22 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Having a hobby not related to politics can help you stay sane and prevent burnout by giving you a break from political anger and allowing you to focus on something you enjoy.
  2. Hobbies provide personal permission for relaxation and access to higher realms of pleasure by tricking the brain into feeling achievement and offering a sense of purpose.
  3. Engaging in a hobby allows you to enjoy the process of learning and perfecting skills with no external pressures, leading to a meaningful pursuit of pleasure and maintaining mental well-being.

If at first you don't succeed

Disaffected Newsletter • 1858 implied HN points • 24 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. It's okay to seek help when struggling with mental health. Sometimes, taking medication like an SSRI can really make a difference.
  2. Experiencing tough times like despair and insomnia is really hard, but it's important to keep trying to find solutions.
  3. Getting back to feeling better might take time, but small improvements can lead to being able to do everyday tasks again.

Friendship maintenance

bookbear express • 445 implied HN points • 21 Dec 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Deep friendships are built slowly and need regular maintenance — spending time, creating rituals, and sharing experiences is how relationships become reliable.
  2. Different friendships require different approaches: some thrive on constant contact, others on rare intense hangouts, so use rituals, proximity, and creative ways to stay in touch (even location sharing) to keep them alive.
  3. Inconvenience and occasional conflict are part of community, not problems to avoid; saying yes to messy, inconvenient things and trusting that people will come back helps friendships deepen.

The Black Dog

Disaffected Newsletter • 2957 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Depression can hit hard and make everyday tasks very difficult, like eating and sleeping.
  2. It's okay to be open about struggles with mental health, even for those who discuss it publicly.
  3. Despite tough times, there is hope that things will improve eventually and new ideas will come.

Ancient Wisdom: Make a Plan, and Stick to It

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 477 implied HN points • 12 Dec 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. A steady routine gives structure and meaning to days after many responsibilities fall away, and keeping a routine can be essential for staying well.
  2. Regular self-care and habits like daily exercise make a big difference to long-term fitness and are noticed by others.
  3. Major health crises can happen, but timely treatment, resilience, and continued healthy habits can allow a long, active life afterward.

I am presently failing

Hoarse Whisperings • 4402 implied HN points • 19 Jun 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. The author is currently struggling and feeling like they are failing.
  2. The post includes a dream about being trapped in a narrow cave with a crescent moon-shaped opening.
  3. Readers can subscribe to Hoarse Whisperings for new posts and support the author's work.

There's got to be a morning after

Disaffected Newsletter • 2398 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Self-care
  1. Depression can feel overwhelming and isolating, but it's a temporary state that eventually lifts. It's important to remember that even in the worst times, things can improve.
  2. Understanding your past and your triggers can help in managing depression. It's not always about one specific cause or issue, but a mix of experiences and emotions.
  3. Finding small moments of joy or connection, like laughing or listening to music, can help you feel less alone. It's essential to hold onto those moments as signs of hope and recovery.