Relational Self-Care: Expanding The Self-Care Paradigm.

Relational self-care reframes well-being as a process that is co-created within relationships rather than solely managed by individuals. Popular self-care discourse often emphasises individual responsibility and personal coping strategies, overlooking the relational dimensions that shape health and well-being. In this manuscript, we review the phenomenon of relational self-care that situates care within interpersonal connections and social networks. By shifting the focus of care from the individual to the relational system, relational self-care positions connection as a resource that is protective and generative. Relational selfcare expands the paradigm of self-care by acknowledging that relationships do not merely contribute to well-being, but are central to how self-care is defined, practiced, and sustained. This framework has implications for educators, and policymakers to design environments that support relational self-care and well-being. Relational self-care invites a reorientation from ‘How do individuals take care of themselves?’ to ‘How do we co-create environments in which people can care for one another and thrive together?’.