When you are struggling with your mental health, getting the right medications and therapy can be life-changing. To optimize the effectiveness of these professional interventions, it is also important to practice good self-care. At Highland Hospital Behavioral Health in Charleston, West Virginia, we encourage our patients to supplement the professional care they are receiving from our caring team of experts with habits that will promote their well-being long after we discharge them from our program.
Understanding Self-Care
For a while now, online influencers have used self-care as a hashtag for everything from expensive shopping sprees to elaborate manicures and luxury vacations to highly restrictive (and potentially dangerous) diets, which are not necessarily in line with what we are talking about. Self-care for mental health refers to the choices we make that help us to cope, heal, and thrive. Doing something that is fun can be self-care, but a lot of the things that fall into this category are not costly and don’t make for exciting social media content.
Building Your Self-Care Plan
Your self-care does not need to look like someone else’s self-care. What practices can you build into your life to develop a predictable routine and maintain your mental, physical, and spiritual health?
Some common examples include:
- Journaling: You can have a theme to what you write, just record a stream of consciousness, or you can use a journal to track your mental health symptoms and discuss with your doctor or therapist later
- Meditating: There are free, online videos that can guide your meditations, if you’re not sure how to get started
- Praying: For people whose religious beliefs are important to them, this can be a deeply helpful practice, particularly when paired with a daily devotional
- Exercising: Be mindful of your physical limitations; this does not have to be strenuous, as long as you’re moving your body
- Eating healthily: Getting plenty of fruits, vegetables, and lean protein are good places to start
In addition, your self-care plan may include:
- Spending time with loved ones or developing new connections
- Going outdoors for a walk, to garden or just to get some fresh air
- Interacting with animals – if you aren’t able to have pets, volunteering at a rescue or pet-sitting can be a good way to connect with animals
- Enjoying a hobby, preferably something that helps you feel relaxed or accomplished
- Being involved in your community through volunteering, going to events or joining groups
- Learning grounding techniques for managing emotional distress, such as progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing or using a sensory kit
- Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water
- Getting enough sleep by practicing good sleep hygiene
- Listening to or making music
- Watching a favorite movie or show
- Saying some positive affirmations, such as I am capable of achieving my goals, I am worthy of love and respect, I am growing at my own speed, and I am safe and surrounded by loving, supportive people
- Writing down things that make you feel grateful or happy
- Doing something creative like coloring, drawing, painting, or writing
- Making a list of your strengths
- Giving yourself a day off, not just from work, but from your regular responsibilities
- Managing your physical health conditions
- Doing a good deed for someone else
- Decluttering your space
What You’re Not Doing
Self-care is not just what you do; it’s also what you decide not to do. If something is causing issues with your mental health, deciding not to do it anymore can be an act of self-care. Some examples could include:
- Consuming alcohol, caffeine, sugar, or nicotine
- Spending more than you can afford
- Checking work emails outside of your office hours
- Interacting with people who routinely cause you distress
- Overcommitting your time
- Doomscrolling online for hours on end
- Engaging in negative self-talk
At Highland Hospital Behavioral Health, we believe that our patients are valuable participants in their own healing journey. We strive to equip them and their support systems with the tools they need to recover from acute mental health symptoms and regain their quality of life. Recovery is possible.
