International Self-Care Day: Tending the Temple in a Dying World

Today is International Self-Care Day, and here at Deathcraft, we believe self-care is more than bubble baths and skincare routines (though those are valid, too). For us, self-care is a radical, sacred act—especially in a world that demands so much from our bodies, our time, and our souls.

Self-care is body care, yes. But it’s also grief care, soul care, ancestral care, and death care.

It’s choosing to rest even when capitalism tells you to grind.

It’s saying no when your nervous system is screaming for space.

It’s lighting a candle for a beloved ancestor and letting your tears fall without shame.

It’s asking for help. Forgiving yourself. Feeding your body with reverence.

It’s the soft, messy, often unglamorous work of staying alive—and staying you—in a world that often forgets how sacred this life is.

Self-Care is Death Work

In deathwork, we witness the fragility and beauty of life on a daily basis. We sit at the threshold between worlds. We hold space for grief, transformation, and all the unnameable things that come with saying goodbye.

But, we can’t do this sacred work without tending to ourselves.

Our bodies are altars. Our hearts are cauldrons. Our spirits are meant to be nourished.

Today, we invite you to check in with yourself. Gently. Without judgment. Grab your journal and write whatever comes up when you reflect on the following questions:

• What is your body asking for right now?

• What grief has gone unacknowledged?

• What version of you is ready to die, and what new self is aching to be born?

• How can you honor yourself today in a way that feels real, not performative?

Some Self-Care Ideas for Today:

🖤 Take a bath and visualize the water cleansing your energy and aura.

🖤 Pull a tarot card and ask, “What part of me needs care right now?”

🖤 Create a simple altar to your body—set up a mirror, crystals, dried flowers or herbs, a selfie that makes you feel hot… whatever feels right

🖤 Make a “grief tea” with herbs that hold you: chamomile, rose, skullcap, and lemon balm. Sip with intention.

🖤 Write a love letter to your future dead self. Tell them what you hope they’ll be proud of.

Let today be a gentle reminder that you are worthy of care, just as you are. No need to earn it. No need to justify it. The world is better with you in it—rested, rooted, and whole.