Taking care of yourself is a necessity: Even if you enjoy helping other people, you can’t properly give love and assistance to others unless your own mental health needs are met. That’s why we should check in with ourselves mentally. Self-care is just as important as other ways that we take care of our health, like exercising and going to the doctor regularly. When life becomes too difficult or you feel that you can’t cope, that can be a signal that you need to pay more attention to your emotional needs.

What Is Self-Care?

Self-care is taking the initiative to put your mental health first. It means learning ways to lower your stress and anxiety levels and developing strategies to cope with these feelings. Self-care should include awareness of your triggers and the mental disorders to which you may be susceptible. It also includes doing things to take care of your physical, psychological, and emotional health.

Examples of Self-Care

There are many types of self-care. These can include:

• Setting aside time in your day for hobbies you enjoy
• Meditating or doing yoga to relieve stress
• Getting enough sleep every night
• Exercising and eating well
• Getting help for mental health issues
• Removing yourself from harmful situations, such as those involving abuse or addiction
• Spending time with friends and family

Practicing Mindfulness

When it comes to taking care of your emotional health, self-care starts with an awareness of how you’re feeling. Mindfulness involves taking time to meditate, whether it’s through formal, guided exercises or just breathing deeply and collecting your thoughts. This is a way of creating space for yourself in your day and assessing how you feel. When practicing mindfulness, focus on the present: Focus on your breathing and how your body feels. When other thoughts arise, take note of them and then let them drift away. If this seems too difficult at first, don’t be hard on yourself; it gets easier with practice.

Helpful Resources

• Suicide Prevention Strategies: Support services can reduce the likelihood that someone will die by suicide.
• Self-Care and Mental Health: It’s crucial to take time to protect and strengthen your mental health as well as your physical health.
• Warning Signs of Suicide: People with depression are more likely to die by suicide themselves, but having close friends can help.
• The Five Rules for Self-Care: Caring for yourself first allows you to be able to care for others, too.
• Ten Things You Can Do for Your Mental Health: Learn healthy approaches to taking care of your body and mind.
• Nine Signs of Depression: Depression symptoms can include persistent sadness and fatigue.
• All About Postpartum Depression: New mothers should be monitored for signs of postpartum depression, and struggling mothers should be given help without judgment.
• Tips to Practice Self-Care as a Family: Even children need to take time to protect their mental health.
• Fight Loneliness by Expanding Your Circle of Concern: Work to expand your circle of friends, even if you only talk to them online.
• 25 Self-Care Tips to Boost Your Mental Health: Self-care isn’t selfish; it’s necessary.
• Homesickness in Children: Moving to a new place or staying at boarding school for the first time can make children feel homesick.
• What Is Self-Care, and Why Is it Important? Self-care makes people feel less anxious and depressed.
• Anxiety Management Strategies: Avoid destructive behaviors and manage your anxiety with positive coping mechanisms.
• Ten Ways to Ease Stress: Taking care of your physical health can help to protect your mental health, too.
• Meditation: Ten Minutes a Day That Can Change Your Life: Many people find meditation to be a simple way to practice self-care.
• Bipolar Disorder: Bipolar disorder is characterized by intervening cycles of depression and mania.
• Schizophrenia: Schizophrenia is one of the most dangerous psychiatric disorders, but those with this disorder can live productive lives by taking care of their mental health with medication and psychiatric support.
• What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? Getting treatment for mental health issues like OCD is a crucial part of self-care.
• Self-Harm: Sometimes, people can turn toward harming themselves to cope.
• What Is a Manic Episode? Signs of manic behavior can include sexual promiscuity and impulsive behaviors.
• What Is Caregiver Fatigue? Caring for someone full-time can burn you out, so it’s important to care for yourself, too.
• Yoga for Inner Peace: A Stress-Relieving Sequence: Try these yoga poses when you’re feeling stressed.
• Physical Exercise for Reducing Stress: Physical exercise can provide an outlet for stress and anger.
• Find Support Groups for Mental Health Concerns: Online support groups can give you a forum to express your feelings in a safe space.
• How to Manage Stress: Stress can build up over time and can even cause physical symptoms.
• What to Know About Complex PTSD: Recovery from PTSD can take a long time, but it’s important to put in the work to take care of your mental health.
• Traumatic Events and Children: Seek psychological help after experiencing a traumatic event.
• Recovering From Rape or Sexual Assault: Life can go on after a rape or sexual assault, but you may need help to work through your feelings.
• Self-Care After Sexual Assault: Sexual assault can be very damaging to your mental health.
• Controlling Anger Before it Controls You: For those with anger issues, self-care can include finding a positive outlet for negative feelings.
• Four Calming Techniques for Kids and Adults: Are you afraid of letting a situation escalate out of control? Use these calming techniques to instantly relax.