The increase in mental health concerns of higher education employees in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused mid-level higher education administrators to reconsider their approaches to wellness and self-care. The purpose of this study was to explore specifically how mid-level student affairs administrators perceive and approach self-care as they navigate often conflicting professional and personal responsibilities. Using a methodological bricolage of constructivist grounded theory combined with narrative inquiry, 11 mid-level administrators working in U.S. public higher education institutions were interviewed to develop a conceptual framework of self-care. Four main themes emerged from the narratives: Caring for Self, Supervisor Care, Care as Employees, and Providing Time for Reflection. From these themes, a heuristic of care was developed that mid-level administrators can use to create a highly individualized self-care and wellness strategy. Through the development of a series of reflection questions within the heuristic, this research study contributes to the growing research on mid-level administrators' struggle to care for themselves while also supporting students and staff. This study further highlights the need to create changes within institutions in both policy and practice aimed at supporting the care and wellness of mid-level administrators. Opportunities for future research include examining the impact of using the proposed heuristic of care for mid-level administrators, especially at more varied institution types and in international contexts. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]