From the Foundations archive. Originally published September 2020.
In today’s world we often lose sight of the importance of self-care not only for ourselves but for those around us. Mental health is one of the biggest areas we find that compromises self-care.
Why is it important? Self-care encourages you to maintain healthy relationships with yourself so that you can transmit the good feelings to others. You cannot give to others what you don't have yourself. While some may misconstrue self-care as selfish, it's far from that. When you pay adequate attention to your well-being, you're not considering your needs alone. You're reinvigorating yourself so that you can be the best version of yourself for the people around you. Everyone around you also benefits from the renewed energy and joy you exhibit.
Because self-care is the practice of caring for your physical, emotional, and psychological well-being, it shouldn’t be surprising to learn that it does, in fact, have an effect on your mental health.
Self-care relies on self awareness, which can benefit people who are living with a mental illness. Practicing self-awareness can help you to recognize patterns in your emotions, including events or situations that can trigger worsened symptoms. It can also help you to recognize what activities or tasks are necessary of your well-being, soothe negative symptoms of a mental illness or stress, or simply bring you pleasure or relaxation.
Many people find it difficult to provide self-care when it is most needed, due to fatigue, feelings of hopelessness or guilt for indulging in something pleasurable, pain, limited mobility, and other factors. People are quick to be able to say they know the benefits of self-care for depression, anxiety, and other mental or physical illnesses, but don’t recognize the amount of labor self-care can require, nor the struggles of people who are trying to provide self-care while also living with their symptoms.
However, here are some ideas to help you get started on providing yourself with the attention you deserve.
· Take a quick mental survey of your body. While breathing deeply, scan your whole body, releasing tension as you find it.
· Practice healthy sleep habits and listen to your body’s needs.
· Take care of your health needs. This includes checkups, taking any medications. therapy appointments or any other care you require to maintain your physical health.
· Exercise in some form.
· Practice healthy eating habits.
· focus on yourself and something that is important to you like a pedicure can help.
· Set aside time to talk with your therapist or a trusted friend, read, reflect, journal, or otherwise engage with your thoughts.
Remember, self-awareness is an important part of self-care, so don’t neglect your emotions!
Are you struggling with a mental health condition? The professional staff at Foundations Counseling, LLC. are dedicated to helping you find real solutions to help you enjoy life again.