Self-care isn't enough. We need community care to thrive.

If you've spent any time on planet Earth in the past five years, chances are that someone has recommended that you "Take some time for self-care." Maybe a friend has encouraged you to enjoy a "Treat yo' self" kind of day. Maybe they’ve told you to make yourself a bubble bath or get a gel manicure or download a self-care app that can teach you how to breathe better.

At the heart of all this advice is the same operational principle: If you want to feel better, you need to do the labor yourself, for yourself.

That's why some experts, like Nakita Valerio, a Toronto-based community organizer and researcher who specializes in building cross-cultural bridges, ask that people consider practicing another form of compassion: community care. Read more...