Self-care isn’t always easy to upkeep. In the wake of personal tragedy, taking care of yourself is often the last thing on your mind whilst also being the thing you need the most.
Our list of songs about taking care of yourself covers it all, from tracks detailing the importance of nurturing yourself and finding peace, to songs exposing the drastic effect of perfectionism.
Songs About Taking Care Of Yourself
1. Mac Miller – Self Care
Mac Miller’s 2018 rap/hip-hop single, Self Care, is about taking time away to better yourself in order to better your relationship; “Tell them they can take that bullshit elsewhere, self care, I’m treating me right, yeah, we gonna be alright.”
Mac Miller centres his track around attempting to reconnect with your true identity, comparing a personal journey with no end in sight to an open-plan adventure;
“I switched the time zone, but what do I know? Spending nights hitchhiking, where will I go? I could fly home with my eyes closed, but it’d get kinda hard to see, that’s no surprise though.”
After all the gains of self-care are laid out, Mac uniquely details the strange burden of overindulging in self-care and escapism, the narrator slipping swiftly into the next battle ahead; “Didn’t know what I was missing, now I see a lil’ different, I was thinking too much, got stuck in oblivion.”
2. Nicolle Galyon – Self Care.
Nicolle Galyon’s 2022 pop track, Self Care. lists the countless ways of achieving a good self-care routine, as dictated by social media.
Through her lyrical lists, she cleverly exposes how self-care plans and tutorials are inadvertently designed to make women feel like they’re not good enough if they choose not to participate.
From brutal beauty regimes like liquid diets, acupuncture and going blonde to more cosy self-care methods like reading and meditation, Nicolle’s track is anchored in a message of self acceptance whilst surmounting the peer pressure of women’s magazines and entertainment;
“I tried, I tried to hate me, I tried, I tried, but then it got old, I think, I think I like me, I think, I think I’m finally sold.”
Nicolle’s title lyric carries a refreshing twist for anyone struggling to maintain a self-care routine that encourages feeling worthless rather than beautiful; “I can’t make myself care.”
3. Teddy Thompson – Take Care Of Yourself
Teddy Thompson’s old-school pop track, Take Care Of Yourself, harbours a stunning harmony uplifting every glimmer of heartbreak showcased through the track’s lyrical story.
This cinematic track is awash with string sections, exhibiting a captivating blend of pop, rock and orchestral flairs, topped by Thompson’s breathtaking vocal range.
Take Care Of Yourself is a piece about parting ways, leaving your lover to flourish on their own whilst encouraging their personal progression in peace; “It’s time for us to part, although it breaks my heart, oh, ’cause I love you, I love you, take care of yourself.”
Beneath every crushing break up is the instinctive need for self-care, a theme conjured beautifully by the harmony’s haunting comfort, despite its allusion of deep-rooted despair.
4. Penelope Scott – Self Care
This pop track by Penelope Scott is compellingly peculiar, her spoken-word lyrics threaded through an erratic soundscape of retro video game sound effects designed to grip and disorient the listener; a quirky yet perfect reflection of coping with the incessant feeling of social media-spawned worthlessness.
Self Care is like a wild distortion of Nicolle Galyon’s track above, bearing an identical listing approach within its lyrical style, though delivered with an eccentric, hyperactive twist;
“Top ten ways to smear honey on your face, cut your nails, do your makeup and wake up late, fill a bottle up with water and a soggy piece of fruit, fill a workbook up with things you can do.”
The vibrant arcade sounds backlighting this track have a slow, nauseating effect, summoning the impulsive ambience of endless scrolling, whilst highlighting the stark comparison between addictions to smartphone/social media and Vegas-style gambling.
5. Ed Sheeran – Save Myself
Ed Sheeran’s acoustic pop track, Save Myself, can be counted amongst some of his softest pieces, despite the perpetual misery beclouding it’s lyrics.
Centred around a sparse yet evolving piano track, Save Myself opens up about the stresses of putting others before yourself with no return, leaving you empty when it comes to dealing with your own issues;
“I gave all my oxygen to people that could breathe, I gave away my money and now we don’t even speak, I drove miles and miles but would you do the same for me.”
This piece is about recognising when you’re neglecting your own needs for the sake of others, encouraging the wise decision to step away before it’s too late; “All the ones that love me, they just left me on the shelf, no farewell, so before I save someone else, I’ve got to save myself .”
6. Maisie Peters – Take Care Of Yourself
Maisie Peters’ indie pop release, Take Care Of Yourself, captures the sweet empowerment of a friend through hard times, inspiring you to sink into self-care rather than despair.
This sleek acoustic track is unimaginably catchy, parading an infectiously positive and comforting attitude which seeps effortlessly into the listener.
Maisie Peters devotes her lyrics to a pure display of friendship, telling a story about helping a friend who constantly forgets to take their own advice.
Take Care Of Yourself highlights the importance of understanding where your friends are at emotionally in order to strengthen their motivation towards self-honesty and self-care;
“I hate how you talk to yourself, it’s not weak if you need to be held, so cut off a little slack, and roll all your cavalry back, my love, take care of yourself … All these things we hide behind, let’s not do that, you and I, take a breath and take your time, hold my gaze and we’ll be fine/”
7. Jayson Lyric ft. Nevaeh – Self Love
Jayson Lyric & Nevaeh’s pop collab, Self Love, focuses on pulling yourself through life with a peaceful and positive perspective. Nevaeh crafts her verses around the idea of being an independent, self-fulfilled woman who doesn’t need a man to nurture her sense of worth;
“I been working on me, I been loving on me, I had to learn to love myself, and no I don’t mind no help, I rather do it my myself.”
This is a track about respecting and adoring your partner’s independent flairs as much as it is a track of feminine empowerment, taking the time to work through your own struggles and care for yourself first.