Self-Care vs. Well-Being: Why Time Management Means Making Time for Both

By Helene Segura, M.A. Ed., CPO® | May 21, 2026 |

 

You can watch my video by clicking on the graphic below or read my thoughts beneath it:

 

 

 

What’s the difference between self-care and well-being? Have you ever asked yourself that? I know I haven’t, and I didn’t until a friend was sharing with her therapist the self-care that she was doing, like having labs drawn that her doctors had ordered, going to physical therapy, going to follow-up doctor’s appointments, and the therapist stopped her in her tracks and she said, “That’s not self-care, that’s well-being.” The therapist defined well-being as caring for your health, the things that you must do in order to stay in good health.

She self-care defined as taking time for yourself in a fun way. Maybe going to have your nails done, not because you have to, but because you want to. Going for a spa day. Going out to a restaurant, not for some kind of obligation, but for fun. Curling up with a book or having a cup of tea, just relaxing, taking time for yourself.

So now the question is more than just what’s the difference between self-care and well-being. I think the more important question is, are you doing both?

Are you doing something for your well-being? Are you eating well? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you moving? You don’t have to work out really hard, but are you moving? Are you walking? Are you going to the necessary doctor’s appointments? And are you implementing self-care? Are you taking time for yourself to just have fun?

So next week, what’s one thing you’re going to do for your well-being and one thing you’re going to do for your self-care?

 

If you have a question related to office productivity – about how to be more efficient and effective during your workday – please be sure to drop your questions in the comments below, and I’ll be sure to answer it in one of my next videos / blogs.

 

If you’re ready to stop feeling stretched thin and start creating time for both productivity and personal well-being, check out The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer.

Are You Making Time for Both?

About Helene Segura, M.A. Ed., CPO®

As The Inefficiency Assassin™, Time Management Fixer Helene Segura empowers professionals on the go with the tools to slay lost time. Personal inefficiency at work leads to increased stress levels, lower morale, higher absenteeism, more turnover – and rising spending on employee health care and hiring. Why not improve productivity, decrease stress levels, and increase profits instead?The author of four books – two of which were Amazon best-sellers – Helene Segura has been the featured organization expert in more than 200 media interviews. She has coached hundreds of clients to productivity success and performance improvement by applying neuroscience and behavioral modification techniques to wipe out destructive, time-wasting habits.Helene turns time management on its head by sharing both client case studies and pop culture examples to teach her mind-bending framework for decreasing interruptions, distractions and procrastination so that companies can spend more time generating revenue.

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