Today, on International Self-Care Day, we want to highlight the importance of something so simple — and so powerful — as learning to care for ourselves.
Self-care isn’t just about eating well or exercising. It’s also about paying attention to our emotions, knowing when to ask for help, and building healthy relationships.
At the Rafa Nadal Foundation Centers in Palma, Valencia and Madrid, we work every day to help children and adolescents in vulnerable situations learn exactly that: to care for themselves — physically, mentally and emotionally. Because we know that well-being starts from within, and that guiding them along this path is essential so they can grow with confidence, self-esteem and hope.
Sport is one of our key tools. It not only improves physical health, but also teaches values like perseverance, respect, teamwork and self-improvement. It also serves as a way to channel emotions, release tension, and build healthy routines that strengthen personal balance.
But care goes beyond the body. At our Rafa Nadal Foundation Centers, we provide close and continuous psychological support, helping children feel heard, understood and supported in difficult times. This support is vital for their emotional well-being and for building a positive self-image.
Alongside this, we promote emotional education programs that help children recognise, express and manage what they feel. Through activities, games and reflection spaces, we foster skills like empathy, self-regulation, self-esteem and resilience. Because understanding our emotions is the first step toward truly taking care of ourselves.
Encouraging self-care from childhood is an investment in healthier, stronger and more conscious adults.
At the Rafa Nadal Foundation, we believe that every child deserves the same opportunity to care and be cared for. That’s why every story of progress, every achievement — no matter how small — is another step toward a fairer future.
Today more than ever, we celebrate self-care as an act of self-love… and also as a shared responsibility.