Self-Care for Mental Health: What to Do (And What to Avoid)

What is Self-Care?

Self-care is an activity that promotes your well-being. This can be emotionally, spiritually, mentally, physically, professionally, or financially. Some parts of self-care are fun, while some are less than glamorous. Incorporating these practices into your routine requires a commitment to yourself and your well-being. 

Good self-care can reduce stress, improve self-esteem, increase energy, and boost life satisfaction. Implementing these practices into your life is a message to you and those around you that you are worthy. Self-care can involve practices that you enact for yourself as well as boundaries you set to protect yourself from thoughts, patterns, and habits that are detrimental to your health. 

If self-care is so important, why does it feel selfish to dedicate time and effort toward it?  Realistically, you are not the only thing on your list of priorities. You likely have your family, friends, a career, a home, pets, and many tasks on your plate. Sacrificing yourself to meet the needs of all those around you comes from care, love, and good intentions. The problem: you are left burnt out, exhausted, and resentful of your routine. That's where good self-care practices come in. They provide you the energy and sustenance needed to care for others effectively. 

What is NOT Self-Care?

The “treat yourself!” culture has taught us that any indulgent activity is self-care, but that is not always true. Both distraction activities and maintenance activities get easily confused for self-care. 

Distraction activities are things we do to take our focus off the present moment, and perhaps the emotions that come with it. It’s easy to fall toward these without even realizing it when feeling overwhelmed—and it’s something we all do. Distraction can also be a useful coping tool when used intentionally, should you need to reduce the intensity of your emotion or you are not in a safe place to process it. For example: Say you are experiencing intense fear while publicly speaking and need to distract from the fear to perform. Just make sure you circle back to that emotion when possible so that distraction does not slip into avoidance. Examples can include watching a funny video, talking to a friend, or listening to music. 

Self-maintenance is also often confused for self-care. These are activities that may look like—and involve—taking care of yourself, but are actually draining to you and feel more like a chore. This varies person to person, but common ones may be going to the doctor, paying a bill, getting your hair done, cleaning, or fixing something around your house. Self-maintenance is essential to living efficiently, but make sure you are making time for both self-care and self-maintenance. The activity needs to make you feel nourished for it to be quality self-care. True self-care can be different activities for everyone and can evolve over time.

The 9 Zones of Self-Care

Self-care should be holistic.

Here are the areas of your life to consider in your self-care:

• Mental

• Emotional

• Financial

• Spiritual

• Environmental

• Social

• Recreational

• Physical

• Professional

Self-Care Activities

Are you realizing you need more self-care in your life, but do not know where to start? Here are some examples:

JOY: Activities that spark joy for you are good for your emotional well-being. Example: watching a funny movie, eating your favorite snack, or reading your favorite book.

SOCIAL: We all need to nurture our connections. This means spending time with friends, calling a loved one, and setting healthy boundaries with others.

RELAXATION: For our mental and emotional health, our brains need time to relax. Schedule a calming activity for yourself like a massage, walk on the beach, or trip.

NOURISH YOUR BODY: We have to fuel our bodies to optimize physical health. Give yourself nutrient-dense foods, adequate hydration and good skin care. Find more nutrition tips for optimal mental health here.

MOVEMENT: Exercise boosts your physical and mental health. Find your favorite way to move, and include it in your routine. Ex: walking, yoga, barre, dancing, swimming, or playing with your dog.

NATURE: There are many health benefits to spending time in nature. Go get some fresh air, soak in the sunshine, and get your hands dirty in the garden. 

THINKING PATTERNS: Sometimes we cannot control how we feel, but we can work to change our thoughts for emotional well-being. Practice journaling, gratitude, and affirmations. 

MINDFULNESS: Mindfulness practices reduce stress. Try a mindfulness walking, meditation, or yoga to be more present.

SLEEP: We cannot operate well without quality sleep. Take extra care in creatingyour sleep environment and routine.

INTERESTS: Spark your intellectual well-being by engaging in a hobby, learning something new, or listening to a new podcast.

PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT: You do not have to take on your care alone. Getting support from a professional will enhance your self-care. This might include a therapist, nutritionist, trainer, etc.

FUTURE PLANNING: Setting goals and making future plans is motivating and empowering. This ranges from specifying your career goals to making fun Saturday night plans.

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How to Implement Your Self-Care Plan

Hopefully, your motivation is high and your mind is firing off all kinds of ideas on how to better care for yourself. First, take a step back; the goal is to make sustainable, lasting change. 

As with any behavioral change, pick something specific and achievable that you want to start with. That may look like going to bed ten minutes earlier, or going for one thirty-minute walk this week. Then, take that momentum and keep building. Avoid creating too many rules around your new habits at an unrealistic frequency. 

If you want extra support in your journey toward better self-care, reach out to Cara for a free consultation about her services.