New Delhi, July 15 -- On a typical Sunday, 21-year-old Shazmeen Malik scrolls through Instagram and sees an endless stream of "self-care" posts: clay masks, coffee runs, tropical getaways, bath bombs, and the ever-present mantra: "treat yourself". For months, she followed the cues. Journaling every night, spending on wellness products, creating Pinterest-worthy routines. But instead of feeling restored, she felt hollow. "I was doing everything the internet told me would make me feel better," says the Mumbai-based media student. "But underneath it all, I still felt anxious and disconnected. It was like I was performing care, not living it."

In recent years, "self-care" has undergone a dramatic transformation. Once a radical act of surviva...