Looking for mental health self-care ideas that will work for you? These are my tried and tested methods to find out which mental health self-care methods are what we need right now.
When we think about self-care it can be daunting to know what is best for us. Today we’ll take a look at what self-care actually is and find examples to inspire you to find the mental health self-care rituals that are perfect for you.
You will learn to reflect on your own mental health, discover what you need to fill your mental health cup and ideas to find the best ways to do that for you.
This post is helping to show you examples of mental health self-care that will inspire you.
*Disclaimer* I am not a medical professional, all advice given on this website is from my own research and experience. It is recommended you seek medical help to help with anything struggles you are experiencing.
This post is helping to show you mental health self-care examples that will inspire you.
Mental health self-care that will inspire you.
First things first, what is self-care?
According to the World Health Organisation,
“Self-care recognises individuals as active agents in managing their own health care, in areas including health promotion;”
The first note I want to make from this is that YOU are the active agent, meaning you decide which mental health self-care activities and methods are best for you. You can take inspiration and ideas from other people, try and test them for yourself, but if they don’t vibe with you and your mental health move on and find something which calls to your soul more.
The Cambridge dictionary defines it as,
“the practice of caring for yourself when you are ill or to stop yourself from becoming ill”
“the practice of doing activities that you enjoy or that are relaxing, especially in order to improve or avoid stress”
The important part of this definition is “activities that you enjoy.”
A ‘popular’ way to practise self-care is a relaxing bath, but if that’s not something you enjoy it really isn’t going to help you fill up your own mental health cup.
Paul Scanlon says this perfectly,
“The gap between what your soul loves and the amount of time you spend doing it will be the size of your unhappiness.”
So this is your permission, no, your mission, to find what your soul loves, get creative and experiment.
Before we get started, have all your needs been met?
Sometimes we can feel ‘not quite right’ because we’re not fulfilling an important need, usually, I try to ignore it or sweep it under the carpet, but it’s important we recognise what is ‘a little off’ so that we can set it right again, or at the very least acknowledge that it is bothering us.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
When I’m feeling a little out of sync and I can’t quite put my finger on it, I go through Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to narrow down where my needs aren’t being met.
If you haven’t come across Maslow’s hierarchy before here’s a quick breakdown.
The pyramid is comprised of 5 different levels, the most important needs are the foundations of the pyramid.
The first 4 levels of needs are often referred to as Deficit needs, meaning if you lack the need you will have the motivation to get it. For example, if you’re hungry you’ll have the motivation to find food.
The very top tier is referred to as a growth need, this is where the motivation to go after it increases the more you do it and the motivation for it is less about the lack of it.
The foundations – Physiological needs.
Put simply these are things we need to survive, food, water, shelter, air, clothing, and warmth.
Tier two – safety needs.
This is the part of us that is looking for order, predictability and stability in our lives.
This can be seen as emotional security, how well we are able to deal with stressful situations and changes in our emotions.
Financial security, our incomes and the ability to pay the bills.
We can also look at how safe we feel in our environments and settings.
Tier three – belonging needs.
These are our relationships, whether it be family, friends or romantic relationships. The levels of acceptance, giving and receiving and trust we feel in all of these.
Tier four – Esteem needs.
This section can be separated into two sections.
Esteem for ourselves involves achievement and independence.
Esteem with others where we search for respect and reputation.
Tier five – self-actualisation.
This tier is all about your experiences, if you are fulfilling your potential and growing as a person, this is your desire to accomplish goals to the best you can.
When you feel your mental health cup feels a little empty it is a good idea to run through the first four tiers to see if there are any needs calling out to you to be met. If they are, acknowledge the need, put a plan in place to tackle it or at the least be more understanding towards yourself while you’re not feeling your best.
The last thing to note before we start looking at ideas for self-care is…
Acceptance and guilt-free self-care.
Somehow the world has tried to convince us that it’s selfish to require time for yourself, but it isn’t. If your cup is empty how can you give to others the way you know you could?
Would you rather see your friend spending time with you when they are exhausted? Or would you be happy to wait a few weeks until their energy is fully restored?
The same principle applies to you, you deserve and require time to reset and fill your own mental health cup.
Easier said than done, but speak kindly to yourself when you require this time.
Examples of Mental Health Self Care rituals.
Practise slow living.
Bake.
Read.
Make a healthy snack.
Make a drink. Tea or coffee (if your anxiety is high try a caffeine-free one)
Listen to music.
Look after yourself.
A bath ritual.
Face mask.
Skincare routine.
Get a massage.
Aromatherapy.
Get creative.
Paint.
Craft.
Draw.
Write.
Dance.
Sing.
Make music.
Colour.
Doodle.
Get active.
Hike.
Dance.
Run.
Swim.
Play.
Yoga.
Pilates.
Tai Chi.
Find some light.
Get out in the sun.
Have salt lamps.
Light candles.
Bring the outside in. Or go outside.
Get more houseplants.
Get planting.
Journal.
Journal walks.
Gratitude journals.
Mental health journals.
Mindfulness.
Mindful walks.
Meditate.
Visualise.
Spend time with animals.
Go out for a hike.
Go to a nature reserve.
Play with your animals or be around them.
Routine.
Have a relaxing night routine.
Have a rejuvenating morning routine.
Therapy.
Social.
Film night with friends.
Games night.
Friend Hikes.
Social workouts.
Play.
Video games.
Problem-solving games.
Build Lego.
Jigsaws.
Puzzles.
Board games.
Cards games.
Silence.
Go for a hike in a nature reserve.
Unplug from technology.
Take yourself on a date.
Coffee shop and a book.
A restaurant.
Cinema.
Picnic.
Try something you’ve always wanted to do.
Your self-care time is something for you, not to be productive, but just for you.
And so I’ll leave you with two final quotes to remember in the time you choose for self-care in hopes that you choose the right thing for yourself.
“So when people say, ‘What are you doing?’
You say, ‘Things that please me.’
And they say, ‘Toward what end?’
You say, ‘Pleasure.’
And they say, ‘But really what are you working on?’
You say, ‘Having a good time.’
And they say, ‘But what do you hope to accomplish?’
‘Being happy.’”
“What is the meaning of life?
Enjoying the passage of time.”
This has been all about Mental Health Examples Self-Care that will Inspire You.
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