Happy New Year! Another year has gone by, and a new one is beginning. For many people this is a time of reflection, and perhaps some thoughts of changing habits, increasing wellness, and maybe even making some resolutions. However, we know that the enthusiasm for New Year’s resolutions often fade away or fizzle out. Thus, making simple lifestyle changes may actually have more success and more lasting effects. This leads to the topic of this blog post, which is self-care.
What is Self-Care?
There are many definitions of self-care across various organizations. Generally speaking self-care is the process one takes to establish behaviors that promote health and wellness. It involves fundamental practices of caring for yourself. Self-care may look different from one person to the next depending on need. Thus, the ways in which one person cares for themselves may differ from the self-care practices of another. Unfortunately many people do not prioritize self-care, and thus have increased stress, physical and emotional exhaustion, burnout, and even illness. Ignoring self-care can also impact relationships, school, and work. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), self-care is important because it can help promote health (mental and physical), prevent disease, and help people better cope with illness. Specific forms of self-care have also been linked to different health and wellness benefits, including a longer life! YES, A LONGER LIFE!
Types of Self-Care and Mental Health
According to HealthGuide there are five types of self-care that can positively impact mental health. Many of the types presented below have overlapping effects.
- Physical Self-Care: This is not just about exercising in order to release endorphins to elevate your mood and decrease stress. It is also about getting enough quality sleep to restore your well-being, as well as eating a healthy diet. Some food, such as processed food or sugary food, can have a negative impact on emotional health and overall mood.
- Emotional Self-Care: This type of self-care includes activities, such as meditation, journaling, and therapy. Engaging in these behaviors can help build emotional awareness and manage emotions.
- Mental and Intellectual Self-Care: Staying mentally sharp is important in self-care. Decreasing stress through stress management techniques, and engaging our curiosity and creativity, help to cultivate a sense of meaning and purpose in life.
- Social Self-Care: In October we posted an article about loneliness and isolation, which referenced the Surgeon General’s advisory on the epidemic of loneliness and isolation, and the benefits of social connection. Connecting and fostering a sense of belonging with others can ward off feelings of isolation and improve mental and physical health.
- Spiritual Self-Care: Prayer, meditation, and reflective practices are all ways to increase spiritual self-care. It can involve anything that helps to develop a deeper sense of meaning, understanding, or connection with the universe. Connecting with a higher power, or connecting in nature, can bring inner peace and increase emotional health.
While the information above includes the benefits of self-care on mental health, HealthGuide summarizes the benefits fall into these five categories:
- less stress
- decreased risk of burnout
- improved mood, focus and productivity
- better self-awareness
- increased self-esteem and confidence
Develop a Self-Care Plan
If self-care is something you are interested in Verywellmind has steps to follow for developing a personalized self-care plan. First, assess your needs and determine what your stressors are and how you might address them. Next, develop some self-care strategies that will help you feel better, reduce your stressors, and aid in making social connections. Plan for challenges you might encounter and develop steps to address those challenges. While change can be overwhelming, focus on one small change you can make to care for yourself. Lastly, set aside the time for self-care. Make it a priority in your schedule. Remember, self-care is not the same for everyone. Your needs, plan, and self-care activities will be different from someone else’s, so don’t compare yourself to others.
Summary
There are several resources on the web regarding self-care, including a variety of quizzes to assess your self-care practices. Brown University has a self-care quiz and self-care plan worksheet. Oregon State University offers another tool to assess self-care. If self-care is something you would like to focus on in 2025 these may be good resources for you to start with, as well as reviewing the other links provided above. Lastly, if you are interested in the mental health benefits of getting outdoors, read this blog post from May 2024.
Wishing you the very best in 2025!
