Is Self Care Important in 2025?

Treat Yourself With Kindness is reckoning with “self care” as a privilege – one that grates against others’ struggle to survive. Our candles, made by and for survivors, serve a different purpose than those lit in vigils across the world.

So, you might question the point of businesses, large and small, pushing self care products during devastating times. Being a small business, even a mission-driven, queer-owned one, does not exempt us from participating in this capitalist ritual. But we believe it’s more important than ever for businesses to start acknowledging their responsibility (or complicity) in the political economy. TYWK is calling on other businesses to use their platform and capital for good. 

One way that we want to use our platform is highlighting the work of the historic nonprofit, Lambda Legal. The legal advocacy group, which has contributed to landmark LGBT rights cases such as Obergefell v. Hodges, has condemned the Trump Administration’s first executive orders. This month, Lambda Legal launched its “Fearless + Fighting Back” campaign to challenge inevitable future attacks on LGBT people. 

U.S. Presidents tend to highlight what they plan to accomplish in the first one hundred days in office. Trump’s first mere hours in office show his intent to target marginalized groups, and we are committed to fighting back as hard as we can for this critical time period. This is why for the first one hundred days of Trump’s second term, 10% of the proceeds from your TYWK purchases will go towards Lambda Legal while supplies last. 

Another way TYWK is taking a stand is by celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion in its operations. Soon, you will be able to find our new “Diversity Statement” on our website, where we will detail our commitment to standing with the marginalized and amplifying the work of those fighting to protect their human rights. 

Self care is not a twin flame to survival. We move forward with positive intent even if we risk echoing trite in 2025. While hate and fear-mongering put innocent people in real danger, we choose to move forward with purpose – believing that resilience and kindness are acts of community care. 

We invite you to send other fundraisers, resources, or stories that we can amplify this month. 

Treat yourself with kindness always,

TYWK Team xx