Self-care for mental health is not just about meditation, yoga and breathing practices. It’s about taking care of your body and your soul in order for you to live optimally.
When practiced correctly, self-care can be greatly beneficial to your mental health. However, there is no correct way (per se) to practice self-care. Although this my sound contradictory, it’s not. I’ll explain this later in the article.
This article will explore self-care, it’s connection to mental health and tips that you can use to make self-care part of your daily routine.
Understanding Self-Care
According to Moira Lawler, self-care has to do with taking care of yourself which includes taking care of your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
It results in better physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. It promotes better health overall. Self-care means feeling physically stronger, emotionally happier and mentally more equipped to handle daily stressors.
The good thing about practicing self-care is that you have to engage in it on a daily basis. This may sound strange, but forming daily positive habits means:
- Less stress
- No need to remember to do something
- Improved quality of life
- Daily feeling of accomplishment
- Increased productivity and efficiency
- Higher chance of reaching goals
- Improved mood
The Connection between Self-Care and Depression
Depression can be difficult to live with. It’s a constant feeling of despair, being tired and listless. It can make taking care of yourself seem like something unattainable.
The upside is that the brain is adaptable and is capable of creating new neural pathways. Therefore, recovering your executive functions (the frontal lobe is responsible for executive functioning and depression is associated with dysfunction of this part of the brain) can return to a healthy state reducing symptoms of depression.
One of the ways to recover your executive functioning is by incorporating self-care especially for mental health.
Deborah Seranl, a doctor of Psychology, suggests the following:
- Start small. Try to reach small goals at a time like getting out of bed, getting fresh air or sit in a room which is sunny.
- Get active. Again, start small. Make coffee, take a shower and get dressed. You don’t have to start with a jog around the block – but aim to get there at some point.
- Get your sense involved. It also means increasing your awareness. When outside listen to the birds singing, feel the sun on your skin, smell the flowers or freshly cut grass, see how colorful everything is and taste the fresh air (or your coffee, your choice).
- Stick with a routine that suits you. Try the same small steps everyday and work yourself up to bigger goals. But don’t stop. Continue doing it. Your brain needs to create new neural pathways and the only way to achieve this is to stick to the routine.
How Self-Care Improves Mental Health
As mentioned earlier, when self-care is practiced correctly it can be beneficial to your mental health. We’ve already looked at ways to start slowly with a self-care regimen, let’s look at a few things you don’t want to do:
- Jump into it guns blazing
- Set goals that are too big for this moment
- Creating a to-do list of self-care items you want to do each day that consists of 20 items
- Do things you don’t enjoy
Your mental health can be extremely fragile. Therefore you have to take things slow and do things you enjoy doing. Think of it as a broken leg. You’re going to take it slow and steady in the beginning before learning to walk on that leg again.
Self-Care and Stress
Although self-care has its root in mental health, it also plays a role in stress management. Taking an hour each day to focus on YOU can significantly improve stress. Here’s how:
- Doing something that you enjoy and aids in your own well-being takes your mind off of the things that may be bothering or worrying you.
- It gives your mind and body time to rest, reset and rejuvenate.
- You’ll end up having more energy to meet the demands of daily life. This leads to being more productive and more resilient to daily stressors.
Positive Mindset
Practicing self-care for your mental health promotes a healthy self-esteem, self-worth and a positive mindset.
When we take better care of ourselves by eating healthily, being active, nurturing our bodies we tend to feel good. Not just physically, but mentally too. When we feel good and see the difference it makes, we tend to focus less on what others think of us and focus more on what we think of ourselves.
The moment we are more confident and feel positively about ourselves we also see the world in a brighter light. We tend to see more of the positive things happening in the world rather than the opposite.
Being more positive also changes our narrative and the way we communicate. That includes the way we communicate with ourselves and others. We’re less tolerant of negative individuals and steer more toward those that hold the same ideas and values as us.
Self-Care Practices for Mental Well-being
There are a few things that I like to do daily that makes me feel good about myself inside and out. This has shown to benefit my own mental health by decreasing my anxiety and alleviating some of the symptoms of depression.
Keep in mind that although this works for me, it may not be something that works for you. You have to find something that makes you feel good about yourself. Something that gives you a sense of pride, accomplishment and like you can take on the world.
Having a Skincare Routine
I started taking care of my skin not too long ago. It’s probably been about 3 years now. I never really used to care too much about skincare except buying a face wash and a scrub.
It only started after I had to do some research on skincare products for someone dear to me. I had to learn all about retinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acids etc. I learnt a whole bunch of things I never really knew before.
My biggest problem was that no matter what I tried as a day cream, my face would continue to be extremely oily. I knew exactly which ingredients I had to look for when it comes to oily skin. Alas, nothing really worked out.
Needless to say, I finally have the perfect skincare routine made from natural ingredients and cruelty free. I no longer have any complaints and my skin looks amazing. I get compliments all the time. It’s wonderful.
My point is, I can literally see the benefits of taking care of my skin. I can hear the compliments people are giving me (without wearing makeup). All these things make me feel good. And finally, I know that my skincare does not come at the cost of hurting animals.
Effects of Skincare for Mental Health
Erum Ilyas, a board-certified dermatologist claims that our skin is like a check engine light for our internal health. When our skin looks good, we tend to feel better about ourselves as well.
Following a skincare routine brings structure into our lives. A research study found that those who do not have consistent routines were more likely to suffer from mental health conditions like depression and bipolar disorder.
Having structure gives us a sense of control. We already know what’s going to happen and we don’t have to think about it. We know what to expect at certain times of the day. Therefore, we free our minds of worry and stress leaving room to focus on the good things happening in the moment.
Exercising
Perhaps this is not something I do daily, but try to do at least 4 to 5 times a week. Even on the days I don’t exercise, I will stretch and go for walks.
I’ve always loved moving and doing exercises. I love it even more since I changed the way I look at it. Usually I would think “I have to work out today”, but now it’s “I get to work out today.”
By just changing a few words I’m enjoying physical exercise more. I’ve become more self-aware and focused whilst exercising.
Positive Effects of Exercise on Mental Health
Regular exercise has shown to decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression. It’s been noted that physical exercise is nearly 1.5 times more effective than medication when it comes to mental health conditions.
Not only does exercise improve health, fitness levels and reduce fat but it also:
- Improves self-esteem
- Improves sleep
- Relieves stress
- Alleviates symptoms of social withdrawal
- Improves cognitive function
- Slows the effects of aging
Exercise for self-care holds a lot more benefits to mental health than we think. Therefore, making it part of your daily or weekly routine is a must. To know the full benefits of exercise on mental health, please read the full article.
When it comes to the best exercise for self-care and mental health, the rule of thumb is doing something you enjoy doing. If it’s walking, do that. You’ll still reap all the benefits.
It doesn’t matter if you enjoy lifting light or heavy weights, doing yoga, jogging or skiing – as long as it’s something that you completely enjoy.
Eating Healthy Meals
I used to count calories like a crazy person. It led me to a dark, dark place. I cut out sugar completely – even apples which was my favorite fruit. I used to have at least one apple every day. I stopped.
Certain vegetables like sweet potatoes, potatoes, gem squash – anything too high in carbs was out as well. Things were not great. I was basically living on (air popped) popcorn and coffee.
Luckily now, I have a great support system and I was able to let go of all those bad eating habits. I make sure I eat healthy, but still enjoy the occasional chocolate or cake or pudding when I want. All in moderation, though!
My diet consists of whole foods – mostly, vegetables, fruits, lentils, legumes, nuts etc. Whenever something processed or “unhealthy” enters my body, I can actually feel the effects. Enjoying one too many puddings will leave me feeling dull and with a headache the next day.
Having a margarita pizza will hurt my stomach, although I really enjoy it when I’m having it. My point is, following a healthy “diet” is beneficial for your body and mind.
It takes a hell of a lot of pressure off when you allow yourself to have nice things but in moderation. There are no more restrictions. I also read this book by Jessica Sepel, Living the Healthy Life and used that as guidance. Most of her vegetarian recipes I still make and love.
Another book I read was In The Flo by Alisa Vitti which taught me how and what to eat according to my time of the month. I now listen to my body and take care of it accordingly. With more energy I get to do things I enjoy more often.
Nutrition for Mental Health
Cleaning up your diet has shown to hold significant benefits for mental health like anxiety and depression.
There’s an increase in ”good” bacteria when you eat nutritionally dense food. This in turn have a positive effect on the production of chemicals like serotonin and dopamine (feel-good hormones).
Therefore, following a nutrient rich diet or eating habit will result in less mood swings and an improved ability to focus.
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