The past few years have shown us that self-care and mental health are deeply connected. Whether it’s a global pandemic or being a caregiver and a working parent, we can only thrive when we set aside time to take care of ourselves.
The truth is, trying to fix burnout after it’s happened isn’t sustainable. We need to implement self-care tips for mental health daily— before we’re running on empty.
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A proactive self-care routine has the power to boost your personal well-being. As a result, your work performance, relationships, and physical health will improve, too.
Wondering where to begin? Let’s dive into what self-care is and our top 7 self-care tips for mental health.
Self-care is the collective set of practices that you engage in to make sure that you’re happy and healthy. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines it 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.”
However, the common understanding of self-care is somewhat less clinical. Self-care is a form of self-love that helps us maintain both physical and mental fitness. While the WHO’s definition of self-care is prescriptive, self-care is additive. It’s the practices that make us feel good — about ourselves, our futures, and our lives.
There’s no limit to what is considered self-care. It really comes down to the quality, intention, and proactiveness of the action.
Or let’s say your job is extremely stressful right now. Maybe you’re trying to finish an important project or going through a busy season. You might want to take part in self-care activities like:
In both of these examples, there are an endless number of actions you can take either proactively or reactively. However, the purpose is always the same: manage the situation and the effect it has on your well-being.
Many people think that self-care is just about taking bubble baths or sleeping an extra hour. However, our well-being is impacted by every area of our lives, so we should apply self-care in each of those areas.
There are five main pillars of self-care that we should be aware of: mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and social self-care. Let’s take a closer look at each.
When we talk about mental fitness, we’re talking about the activities that keep your mind challenged and engaged. These are the things that get you into a flow state — where you’re effortlessly focused on something you enjoy. Experiencing flow as much as you can, challenging your mind, and learning new things are all forms of mental self-care.
Taking care of your emotional health means working to understand your feelings and how to deal with them. While a wide range of emotions is healthy, it’s also important to know what they’re trying to tell you and express them in a constructive way.
Your physical health is critical to your overall well-being. When your basic needs aren’t met, you tend to be less emotionally and mentally resilient as well. The symptoms of anxiety, depression, and many other ailments mimic symptoms of dehydration.
Our spiritual self-care connects us to something larger than ourselves. It can be externally focused, like a religious practice. However, inner practices — like meditation and breathwork — can also provide spiritual fulfillment. Spiritual wellness is an individual journey.
The time we spend with our friends, family, and loved ones is part of what makes life meaningful. But despite how much human beings need social connection, we often neglect it — especially when we’re already feeling low. Spending time with others who make us feel good is a great way to take care of our mental health.
What does it look like — in practice — to self-manage your mental health, and where do you even start? We reached out to a number of people at BetterUp, both coaches and staff, to find out what practices they use.
The results? People use a wide array of resources, and most people have a combination of practices they use on a regular basis. Not only does one size not fit all, no single option is a cure-all.
One of the first words that came to mind for BetterUppers was “mindfulness.” That’s because mindfulness practices have a cumulative effect on our mental health.
However, developing a mindfulness practice is famously challenging. With so much to do and so many notifications clamoring for our attention, it can be hard to tune it all out for even a minute.
Here are a few tips for developing this practice:
If movement seems, well, more your speed, several BetterUppers cite exercise and physical activity as their go-to mental health habit. Here are a few ways to make this self-care tip for mental health a little easier:
As a woman of color who is making peace with the idea that my identity transcends that of an athlete, my journey of self-acceptance began and continues to evolve in relation to my body. I have Jessamyn Stanley to thank for reminding me I am so much more than the sum of my physical parts.
Ashley Strahm, Content Marketing Manager at BetterUp
What do hiking, gardening, and vacations all have in common? Time spent in nature. Many people find just being outdoors to be a therapeutic experience. The American Psychological Association (APA) links spending time in nature with lower stress levels, improved cognition, positive affect, and subjective well-being.
Here are some ways to develop this practice:
A big part of protecting our mental health is keeping our inner critics in check. Learning to pay attention to our self-talk is important. Self-criticism can kill our motivation, energy, and creativity.
Here are some tips for practicing self-acceptance:
At BetterUp, we regularly take time to engage in intentional, restorative, and reflective practices. We call this Inner Work®, and it’s the key to making our outer work more successful and sustainable.
One of the best self-care tips that we can offer is to understand your mental health. Whether you have a mental illness or just want to support your overall well-being, getting informed can help.
While you can do that by reading resources online or watching documentaries, one of our favorite ways to learn is through the wide variety of books on mental health. Here are some book recommendations from our team at BetterUp:
Sometimes, the best way to take care of yourself is to just get out of your head. You can try these activities to manage anxious thoughts and get into flow:
When you ask the question, “How do I proactively take care of myself so that I can thrive?” self-care no longer looks like a reactive set of products and activities. Your self-care is purposeful — you have a goal and can form the plan that works best for you.
The amazing thing about developing a self-care strategy is that it becomes a kind of Inner Work® practice. To have a truly effective plan, you have to know yourself. You must become intimately aware of what you need, how you feel, and what will make a difference.