Self-care practices to support your mental health

Self-care practices are habits that improve and maintain your physical and mental health. Self-care is not just about managing stress right now or preventing mental health difficulties in the future. It’s also about making choices that improve your overall sense of wellbeing, whether you’re currently facing challenges or not.

Self-care isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one person might not work for another, and that’s okay. It’s about finding out what activities support your wellbeing and prioritising those activities regularly.

Above all, when you adopt your own self-care practices, you’re committing to making your wellbeing a priority. This is not the same as putting yourself first at the expense of others. In fact, when you take care of your own self-care needs consistently, you may find that you have more energy, focus, and enthusiasm to give to the people and things that matter to you. Taking care of yourself helps you take better care of others too.

Why incorporate self-care practices into your daily life?

People tend to benefit most from self-care when they make it a habit. Engaging in self-care practices on a daily basis helps you build a strong foundation for your physical and mental well-being. This allows you to respond to life’s challenges with greater resilience. Resilience is the ability to adapt to changes, face challenges, and recover from stress.

Here are some key benefits of practising self-care as a habit:

• Improved physical health: Regular self-care routines, such as exercise, healthy eating, and adequate sleep, can lead to better overall physical health. It can also reduce the risk of physical illness
• Greater mental wellbeing: Engaging in activities that you enjoy and that relax you can boost your mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Increased resilience: Regular self-care helps build your resilience, making it easier to cope with stress and bounce back from difficult situations
• Better emotional regulation: Self-care practices can help you manage your emotions more effectively. Managing your emotions in healthy ways supports better communication in your relationships
• More energy: Taking care of yourself can increase your energy and motivation, helping you stay more focused and productive throughout the day
• Improved mood: Regular self-care can lift your spirits and help reduce feelings of low mood or burnout
• Taking ownership of your health: Practising self-care is a way of taking responsibility for your own physical and mental health, empowering you to make choices that support your overall wellbeing

By making self-care a daily priority, you are investing in your long-term health and happiness. This investment can make it easier to handle life’s challenges in the long run.

What areas of my life can benefit from self-care practices?

Self-care is not just about addressing one part of your life; it’s about caring for yourself as a whole person. Research shows that taking care of different areas of your life, rather than just focusing on one, can provide the most benefits for your self-care. However, trying to change too many things at once can feel overwhelming. Starting with one area and adding other changes over time can make it easier to manage.

Here are some key areas to consider when thinking about your self-care needs:

• Your body: Taking care of your physical health through regular sleep, exercise, and good nutrition helps keep your body strong and resilient
• Your wellbeing at work or school: Protect yourself from burnout and chronic stress by setting healthy boundaries and finding ways to stay engaged and satisfied in your work or studies
• Your relationships with other people: Maintaining strong social connections and having access to support from others can improve your sense of belonging and emotional well-being
• Your emotional health: Building positive coping skills, learning how to regulate your emotions, and engaging in hobbies or meaningful projects can all help to improve your emotional well-being
• Your psychological health: Support your long-term psychological health by becoming aware of your thought patterns
• Your spiritual health: Whether you practise a religion or explore non-religious types of spirituality, like mindfulness or connecting with nature, becoming more connected with your spiritual side can bring a sense of peace and greater purpose

By supporting your self-care needs in each of these areas, you can build a more well-rounded self-care routine that benefits your whole self.

How do I practise self-care?

Research on how young people practise self-care when in distress is still growing. However, it is clear that many people find relief and enjoyment in self-care activities. Everyone finds different things fulfilling so finding self-care activities that work best for you might require a little experimentation. Self-care is about finding what recharges you and brings you joy, so feel free to experiment with different activities until you find what feels right.

If you are feeling stressed or low from juggling multiple responsibilities, engaging in self-care activities can feel like yet another burden. When you are caring for others, you might feel like you don’t have the time or energy for self-care. However, taking care of yourself can help you take better care of others too. Consider beginning to find self-care activities gradually and in a way that feels right for you.

Below is a list of self-care activities you can try. Given your own unique circumstances, you may find that certain activities feel more manageable than others.

Take care of your mental and emotional health by:

• Setting realistic, achievable goals to give yourself direction
• Organising or planning your day to feel more in control
• Challenging negative thoughts or self-talk
• Noticing triggers that affect your mood or stress levels
• Practising relaxation techniques or mindfulness to manage stress
• Accepting your feelings without judgement
• Confronting your fears in small, manageable steps
• Solving problems by breaking them into smaller tasks
• Writing or journalling to process your thoughts and emotions
• Reading and learning more about mental health from reliable sources
• Using apps designed to help with self-care strategies

Connect with others by:

• Spending time socialising or going out with friends
• Seeking peer support, either in person or online
• Talking to someone you know and trust about what you’re going through
• Allowing yourself to be loved and cared for by others
• Taking care of others as a way to strengthen social connections

Nurture your spiritual or reflective side by:

• Reading religious texts (if religion is a source of guidance or comfort for you)
• Attending a church, mosque, temple, or other place of worship (if religion is a source of guidance or comfort for you)
• Writing creatively as a way to reflect on your experiences
• Practising acceptance of things you cannot control

Connect with your body by:

• Staying active with physical exercise to boost your mood
• Going for a walk to clear your mind and move your body
• Using breathing techniques to calm yourself in stressful moments
• Engaging in muscle relaxation exercises to release tension
•  Taking a warm bath to unwind
• Reducing your intake of stimulants and other substances
• Dancing as a fun and active way to release energy
• Cooking and eating well to take care of your body
• Practising good personal hygiene

Enjoy leisure activities and play by:

• Switching off screens to give your mind a break
• Daydreaming to let your mind wander and relax
• Watching movies at home or going to the cinema for entertainment
• Reading books or magazines to escape into another world
• Spending time outdoors in nature to reconnect with the environment
• Playing games or engage in hobbies that make you happy
• Laughing and finding humour in everyday life
• Singing, making music, or engaging in other creative activities to express yourself

What are some of the self-care barriers I might be facing?

Depending on your individual circumstances and state of health, practising self-care regularly can be more or less challenging. Stressful or traumatic life events, physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, or even the environment you live in can make certain self-care practices difficult. Cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds can also influence how people practise self-care, meaning that self-care may look different for everyone.

Despite these challenges, taking care of yourself is always possible, even if this requires changing traditional self-care activities to better suit your situation. Here are some common barriers to self-care:

• Not knowing where to start: Beginning to practise self-care can feel unfamiliar and even overwhelming at first, especially when you’ve little guidance on where to begin
• Unhelpful habits: Habits like overeating, smoking, or excessive screen time can be difficult to change
• Lack of motivation: Mental health challenges, like depression or low mood, can sap your energy and make it hard to start or maintain new self-care routines
• Difficulty maintaining habits: Even with good intentions, sticking to self-care routines can be challenging, especially when life gets busy
• Influence of peers or family: The people around you may not support your self-care efforts or may create an environment where practising self-care feels difficult or even impossible
• Physical or mental health difficulties: Physical and/or mental health conditions that limit your mobility or affect how you think and communicate can make traditional self-care practices less accessible to you
• Cultural or religious expectations: Different backgrounds may offer specific ideas of what self-care should look like, which might not align with your personal goals, values, or needs. On the other hand, mainstream culture might impose a view of self-care that does not fit with your own cultural values or beliefs

How do I reduce barriers to self-care?

Even when facing barriers, there are ways to make it easier to practise self-care regularly.

Here are some strategies you might consider:

• Reach out for support and encouragement: Having an accountability partner can motivate you to turn self-care activities into habits. For example, you could pair up with a friend to exercise together or engage in a shared hobby
• Personalise your self-care: Instead of trying to follow socially expected or popular self-care routines, find activities that fit with your values and culture. This can make self-care more meaningful and sustainable in the long run
• Leverage technology: If physical or mental health challenges make self-care difficult, try using technology to make it easier. For example, you could use meditation apps, online fitness classes, or virtual support groups to practise self-care from the comfort of your own space
• Habit-stacking: If you’re very busy, try tying a self-care habit to something you already do every day. For example, you might listen to your favourite podcast or audiobook while commuting, or practise deep breathing while waiting in a queue to get lunch

By adapting your self-care practices to fit your lifestyle and personal values, it is possible to find ways of overcoming obstacles to self-care and prioritising your long-term well-being.

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