Self-care is being redefined as deep emotional maintenance, Hint App survey finds.

Self-care is undergoing a structural redefinition across multiple regions, with a language of discipline, emotional upkeep, and inner regulation replacing the once-dominant vocabulary of rituals and rewards. A new cross-market survey from the Hint App, drawing responses from 2,143 adults, indicates that 68% now describe self-care as a form of ongoing emotional maintenance, a marked departure from the short-term practices that shaped the category throughout the past decade.

Respondents were asked a single open question, “How do you define self-care in 2025?”, and the resulting patterns reveal how cultural narratives are shifting faster than many brands have acknowledged. Words associated with leisure-based care appeared far less frequently, while terms denoting inner recalibration, boundary setting, and structured reflection formed the majority of responses. Among participants aged 18 to 39, the proportion identifying self-care as maintenance rose to 74%.

This reframing places emotional labour at the centre of a category traditionally dominated by consumer goods and aesthetic routines. The Hint App identified a recurring emphasis on continuity: respondents described daily check-ins, multi-week personal work and deliberate forms of introspection that function less as escape and more as infrastructure. According to internal analysis of the written responses, 55% of those who prioritised maintenance said they had replaced at least one ritualised activity with a longer-term practice during the past year.

Managing Director Kirill Liakh said, "What stands out here is the clarity with which people describe emotional upkeep. The survey shows a decisive turn toward practices that sustain psychological steadiness rather than provide momentary relief. People are articulating a different hierarchy of needs, and the language reflects that shift." His comment reflects the broader narrative emerging from the survey: continuity has replaced indulgence as the defining mechanism of care.

The implications extend beyond consumer preference. The survey reveals a public increasingly attuned to the structural drivers of emotional well-being, placing emphasis on practices that support stability over the long term. This evolution suggests a recalibration of expectation, a belief that emotional steadiness is not achieved through occasional rituals but maintained through sustained engagement. The trend was particularly strong in North America and the UK, where more than 70% of respondents used terms related to discipline, grounding, or long-form reflection.

The findings capture sentiment rather than behaviour, but the linguistic shift itself is meaningful. When individuals redefine a concept as foundational as self-care, the change often cascades into adjacent cultural spaces, influencing how people invest their time, how platforms shape their offerings, and how the media frames wellbeing. The Hint App survey signals that this turning point has already begun.

About Hint App:
Hint App is a symbolic, emotional insight platform with over 1.2 million users that combines ancient practices such as astrology, palmistry, and visual soulmate interpretations with modern technology, including artificial intelligence and NASA astronomical data, to deliver highly personalized reports based on a user’s exact birth details. Rather than offering predictions or quick fixes, Hint App serves as a reflective framework, helping individuals map emotional patterns, understand the deeper timing behind personal and relationship decisions, and reconnect with their inner clarity.

Media Contact:
Hint America Inc.
pr@hint.app
Leigh Roberts
PR manager