Is Your Self-care Routine Helping or Hurting Your Mental Health?
We live in a world where mental health has entered the forefront of conversation when it comes to our overall health—and what an amazing shift that is! With this more open dialogue, the term “self-care” is thrown around often. It’s something I discuss often with my clients, whether we’re talking about overcoming burnout, dealing with stress or anxiety, staying aligned during difficult circumstances, or prioritizing your own wellness in today’s busy world.
However, what does self-care really mean? Is it as simple as a spa day? Is it a necessity, or more of a privilege? I’m here to debunk the myths around self-care and to let you know: you deserve it!
Defining Self-care
The World Health Organization defines self-care as “the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a health worker.”
In layman’s terms, self-care involves our ability to look after our own health with the knowledge and tools available to us.
While—once upon a time—“health” was often thought of only in the physical sense, we now know how wide-spreading the layers of our health truly extend. On top of our physical wellbeing, we must consider other mutually interdependent dimensions of wellness. As categorized by the National Institute of Health and widely considered the pillars of wellness, our overall health encompasses physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, vocational, financial, and environmental wellbeing.
See how you can practice self-care in all areas of wellbeing—(hint: it’ll take more than a spa day!).
The Do’s and Don’ts of Self-care: Physical, Mental, Social, and Emotional Wellbeing
You may think you have a self-care routine, but some things you may be incorporating—anyone guilty of doom scrolling on social media or foregoing sleep to watch your favorite show?—could actually be contributing to stress and loneliness.
Instead, I have tips and questions as you build a self-care routine that will nourish you physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally. Let’s dive in…
Physically
Here’s where the spa day fits in! However, physical self-care is much more than a one-time pampering. Consider how you’re nourishing your body. Ask yourself these questions:
Am I hydrated?
Am I eating enough whole foods that supply me with sufficient energy I need to get through the day?
Is my physical space one that promotes wellbeing—one that is decluttered, hygienic, and brings a sense of peace?
Am I sleeping enough, and prioritizing rest throughout the day when needed?
All of these contribute to self-care, and are important to assess amidst the hustle and bustle of our lives.
Mentally
There’s a reason habits such as meditation and journaling have skyrocketed in popularity—both are ways to take care of yourself mentally. Other ideas include positive self-affirmations, taking alone time for honest reflection, and seeking support from a trusted outside resource.
Another practice I love to recommend for mental health is something called bibliotherapy—using fiction books as a form of self-care. Reading about others’ experiences and either reflecting alone or talking though themes with a therapist can be an excellent way to make sense of upsetting emotions, understand others’ perspectives, and work through difficult feelings.
Socially
Self-care for our social health can look very different for different people. Introverts may need to recharge by being completely alone, while extroverts may need in-person interaction to feel fulfilled. Whatever your needs are, assess whether they are being met. If not, how can you do so?
For those who live alone and work from home and may be struggling with feelings of loneliness, opportunities such as neighborhood meet-ups or volunteering events are ways to get out and about and fill your social battery. For those looking for more alone time, practicing feeling empowered to say “no” to plans may be the key to social self-care.
Emotionally
Who are you giving your love, time, and energy to? Whom are you receiving love, time, and energy from? Are these relationships repleting or depleting your cup? It’s often important to (routinely) ask these questions, to ensure you are caring for your emotional health.
Self-care Is Not Selfish: How to Practice Self-love
When it comes to taking care of your own physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual states, it’s similar to the old adage: Put your life jacket on before assisting others. It’s hard to give love without self-love. It’s hard to care for others without self-care. It’s hard to thrive in this world without taking care of your own basic needs first.
In fact, self-care is self-compassion. As Dr. Kristin Neff explains it, “Self-compassion simply involves doing a U-turn and giving yourself the same compassion you’d naturally show a friend when you’re struggling or feeling badly about yourself.”
And, while we’re at it, let’s talk through a few other misconceptions regarding self-care:
For one, it’s not a one-time occurrence. One healthy meal won’t reset your physical health, and one therapy session alone likely won’t fix all of your concerns.
Secondly, although self-care is an ongoing effort, it is not one that needs to take a ton of your time nor money. Many of the tips I shared above are free, and require just as much time as some unhealthier options you’re probably already doing; for instance, it takes just as much time to make a healthy meal as it does an unhealthy one, and your ten minutes doom-scrolling before bed could just as easily be filled with ten minutes of meditation.
If you’re struggling with how to incorporate more self-care best practices and weed out the bad habits, I’d love to talk you through them!
Your Next Steps—Help with Your Self-care Routine
If you feel like you need help in talking through how to better take care of yourself and your own needs for any area of your health, you’re not alone. Much of self-care requires a foundation of outside care to get started.
Whatever area of health you’d like to focus on, I am here to help. You don’t have to go at it alone at the start, but I hope to equip you with the knowledge, tools, and resources you need to self-care like a pro, and be here every step of the way thereafter.
Schedule a consultation today to explore how we can get you to where you want to be.
