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Self-care for mental health and wellbeing
Self-care is a key way we protect our mental health and improve our wellbeing. In this article, we explain what exactly self-care is and why it's so beneficial during challenging times. You'll also find easy self-care ideas you can try right now or down the track.
10 minutes
Helps with
Stress
Depression
Anxiety
What is self-care?
Self-care is the practice of taking care of ourselves so that we can stay physically, mentally, and emotionally well.
While we all have different ways of practising self-care, the ultimate goal is to make sure we spend time doing things that:
- Make us feel happy and healthy
- Lower our risk of disease and illness
- Help us manage stress or cope during challenging times
- Allow us to feel physically and psychologically safe
- Promote strong social connections.
Sometimes, self-care activities don’t require much thought - like brushing our teeth or having a coffee with a friend.
But other self-activities are more deliberate - like taking time away from technology, journaling our thoughts and feelings, or booking an appointment with a therapist.
Ultimately, a self-care activity is something that fills our ‘wellbeing cup’ instead of emptying it.
Why is self-care important?
An easy way to understand the importance of self-care is to think of yourself as a laptop computer. It doesn’t matter if you spend the entire day using it to study for exams, play a game, or host a video conference for work, at some point, you’re going to have to recharge the battery.
But of course, we can’t just plug ourselves into a power point …
Instead, we recharge by:
- Sleeping enough
- Eating well
- Moving our bodies
- Connecting with people
- Doing activities we enjoy.
These five areas (sleep, nutrition, movement, connection, and fun) are proven to have huge impacts on our mental health and wellbeing, which is why being proactive about your self-care can be so beneficial.
On top of making sure our basic needs are being met, self-care helps us stay focused on the things that matter to us, establish personal and professional boundaries, and find support when something challenging comes up.
Self-care can:
- Enable us to build strong social connections and form healthy relationships
- Prevent burnout by encouraging us to get enough quality sleep and adopt sustainable work/study/volunteer habits
- Help us manage people and situations that may make us feel stressed and overwhelmed
- Give us ways to manage the symptoms of mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and trauma
- Give us ways to cope and adapt when facing challenges like relationship problems, financial stress, grief, or an extreme weather event.
Making time for self-care can be difficult, especially when you’re working full-time, studying, or raising a family (or doing all those things at once!).
It can also be difficult to make self-care a priority if you don’t feel like you deserve it or it won’t make a difference. Feeling unworthy, undeserving, or hopeless can sometimes be signs of low self-esteem. If this sounds like you, please know that everyone deserves time and space to practise self-care.
Remember - self-care isn’t selfish.
We know self-care is important for good mental health and wellbeing, which is why you never need to feel guilty about making it a priority.
With that being said, when you’re stressed, depressed, or just feeling a bit flat, it can be difficult to find the energy to even think of how you can practise self-care.
Having a pre-prepared self-care plan, like a self-care box, can be helpful when moments like these hit unexpectedly. This is because it removes the pressure of needing to think about what to do during tough times.
Finding the right self-care for you
Even though a self-care activity like cuddling puppies might be something a lot of people would enjoy, it’s likely that what fills your cup won’t fill someone else's.
And contrary to what someone on social media might tell you, self-care doesn’t have to involve expensive moisturiser, a remedial massage, or an expensive gym membership. In fact, it doesn’t have to cost a thing.
Here are some examples of self-care choices you can make that are free:
- Saying no to a late night out
- Taking time to cook a nice meal
- Going for a walk before work
- Calling a friend for a chat
- Playing board games.
It’s important to point out that when we’re really struggling, sometimes the only self-care we can practise is literally just making it out of the house to get some sunshine, and that’s okay.
Even the smallest amount of self-care can be beneficial.
Scroll down to learn more self-care ideas that might work for you.
Self-care ideas
When we’re feeling overwhelmed or low, it’s easy to be too busy, too tired, or just too ‘can’t be bothered’ to think about how to face and end the day.
Creating morning and evening routines (and sticking to them) can be really helpful because they make it easy to reach for the self-care activities you know work for you.
In the morning, your self-care routine could look like:
- Not reaching for your phone for the first 10 minutes after waking
- Drinking a glass of water or cup of coffee outside in the morning sunlight
- Reading something non-news, non-school, or non-work related
- Meditating for 5-10 minutes
- Setting an intention for the day. For example: ‘I want to feel grateful today.’
In the evening, your self-care routine could look like:
- Watching the sunset outside or through a window
- Having a cup of tea while chatting with a friend or family member (in person or over the phone)
- Writing down three things you’re grateful for
- Stretching
- Listening to a sleep story or guided meditation track.
Studies show that nature is a natural mood booster. Even adding an indoor plant to your home can make you feel better!
On top of helping you generate positive emotions like happiness, nature has a powerful way of improving concentration, sparking creativity, and changing our perspective by bringing an ‘awe element’ to our lives.
For example, gazing at a sky full of stars or standing on the top of a mountain looking out over the ocean can help us see just how amazing our world is. This sense of awe and wonder can help give us a different perspective on the problems we face.
You could:
- Spend time in a park
- Go for a bushwalk
- Visit the beach
- Walk barefoot in your backyard
- Get an indoor plant and spend time caring for it.
‘A burden shared is a burden halved’ is a saying that holds a lot of truth.
Whether it’s on the phone with a friend, or in person with a colleague, having good social connections is one of the key ways we can feel less overwhelmed by our immediate emotions.
On top of feeling calmed or comforted by being connected with another person, it’s also nice to be able to say a worry or fear out loud.
Sometimes, simply getting something off your chest can make it feel like a huge weight has been lifted.
You could also:
- Join a local running or walking group
- Join a local or virtual book club
- Find hobby meet-ups for things like bird-watching or cooking classes
- Invite a friend to visit a museum or see a local performance
- Make a plan with someone to catch up for a walk or a coffee
- Send a photo or text message, reminiscing about a special memory
- Book a trip away with a partner, friend, or family member
- Show you care the old-fashioned way … by writing a letter or sending a postcard.
Many people find that talking to someone when they’re feeling anxious or low is so helpful that they wish they had done it sooner.
If you want to learn more about how to talk to someone you trust when you’re going through a tough time, click here. If you're not ready to take that step with someone in your life just yet, Lifeline is always here for you.
Physical activity has many benefits when it comes to our mental health and wellbeing.
We know that daily exercise can boost our mood, improve sleep, reduce anxiety, decrease symptoms of depression, and increase self-esteem.
While some people may love the idea of going to a high-intensity gym class, others would much prefer a gentle walk around the block on their own.
You know what’s best for you, so don’t feel like you have to push yourself too far out of your comfort zone when it comes to using movement as a form of self-care.
You could:
- Go for a short or long walk
- Move your body in a pool, lake, or ocean
- Practise yoga or try Pilates
- Join a gym or outdoor fitness group
- Take a community dance class
- Participate in a weekly 5km Parkrun.
Music, podcasts, books, and movies can be wonderful tools you can use to decompress, recharge, and re-centre.
They can also be effective if you’re trying to find something to distract your mind.
You could:
- Put on some upbeat music or your favourite album or artist
- Read an inspiring book about someone who’s overcome something similar to what you’re currently experiencing
- Watch a feel-good movie or listen to a captivating podcast.
Remember, just like ‘we are what we eat’, ‘we are what we watch, read, and listen to!’
So, when it comes to media and self-care:
- Opt for uplifting and inspiring stories
- If you’re not feeling great, avoid true crime and disturbing news stories
- Make sure you’re turning off screens at least two hours before you plan to sleep.
Another way to practise self-care when it comes to media is by managing our screen time. Whether it’s for work, school, life-admin, or just for fun - we spend a lot of time on our devices.
While they can definitely be positive, we know that too much screen time can impact our mental health and wellbeing.
If you’re looking to reduce your screen time as a form of self-care, you can try a digital detox.
As ironic as it sounds, one of the ways we can best care for ourselves is by caring about others!
If you’re someone who feels really good when doing something kind for others, you may want to try:
- Volunteering at schools
- Volunteering at local events
- Volunteering during a local emergency
- Volunteering to help the environment.
Go Volunteer is a great website to help you find volunteer opportunities in Australia.
Completing a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle will do more than make you feel extremely proud. Projects that require concentration and/or using your hands are a great way to reduce stress, improve focus, increase problem-solving skills, and boost your mood.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Do a jigsaw puzzle
- Spend time in a garden
- Grab a sketchbook or colouring book
- Learn a musical instrument
- Find an arts and crafts project.
Similar to mindfulness, meditation is intended to keep you in the present moment.
As humans, we tend to dwell on the past, or worry about things in the future. Meditation can help you gain control of your thoughts and feel calmer.
Some people love it, some people ‘don’t quite get it’, but research shows that 10 minutes of meditation can have visible and positive impacts on your brain.
Meditation can also:
- Bring feelings of calm and clarity
- Reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm
- Improve focus and increase attention span
- Increase self-awareness
- Improve sleep.
Click here to learn more about meditation and how to get started.
While we often think about the physical impacts of food, it’s important to remember how much of an influence food can have on our mental health and wellbeing too.
How you eat most of the time = how you feel most of the time.
When stressed, some of the first signs can be a decreased or increased appetite. Ensuring that you’re getting enough of the right kind of food is a great act of self-care.
Here are a few ideas for prioritising meals that are good for your body and mind:
- When possible, try to prep or plan what you’re going to eat for the day
- If you eat at work, try bringing a packed lunch and nourishing snacks
- Ensure you’re getting the right amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet
- Make meal times easier by having frozen ingredients or pre-cooked meals on hand
- When eating, be mindful and present in the moment. Don’t scroll through your social media feed mid-bite.
Keep in mind that the pressure of always eating ‘good food’ can feel restrictive. Life is full of delicious sweets and treats, which is why it’s totally okay to enjoy foods that aren’t typically deemed ‘healthy’ every now and then.
We like to follow the 80/20 rule, which says to focus on eating well 80% of the time and being a bit more relaxed 20% of the time.
Finding time to have a warm bath is a great way to relax, unwind, and chill. Some people like reading a book in the bath, while others might use the time to soak in silence.
A tub of warm water is really all you need but if you’d like to enhance the experience, you can light a candle, add bath oils, or toss in a handful of Epsom salts. Epsom salts are a great addition because they have the muscle-relaxing and sleep-promoting effects of magnesium.
‘Mindfulness’ is probably a word you’ve heard a lot lately, and that’s because many people are finding it to be a great tool for self-care.
On top of helping you to keep emotionally ‘well’, mindfulness can also:
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Improve concentration
- Increase your self-awareness
- Improve sleep
- Increase resilience
- Lower blood pressure and improve physical health.
Some people find the concept of mindfulness confusing, but it really is as simple as paying attention to the present moment with an attitude of curiosity, openness, and non-judgement.
You can learn more about getting started with mindfulness by clicking here.
Journaling is a useful tool that can help you understand your thoughts and feelings more clearly, and boost your overall wellbeing.
You can journal things you’re grateful for, you can journal your frustrations, or you can journal in a way that allows you to better explore your thoughts and feelings.
Techniques & Guides
6 minutes
read
Creating a self-care box
Self-care can help you cope with challenging times by ensuring your emotional, physical, and social needs are being met. In this article, we detail how having a self-care box can be a valuable mental health and wellbeing tool.
6 minutes
read
Helps with
Distress
Overwhelm
We know that if a loved one was feeling overwhelmed, we would encourage them to reach out for support. However, we tend to be harder on ourselves when considering asking for help.
Self-care means caring for yourself exactly like you would a loved one.
If you'd like to find ways to connect with people who can help, you can:
- Learn how and why to talk to someone you trust
- Read our tips for finding the right therapist for you
- Consider getting a Mental Health Treatment Plan.
Remember that Lifeline is always here to listen.
Tools and apps for self-care
Tools & Apps
MoodMission
MoodMission is a mental health and wellbeing app that helps you learn new and effective ways to deal with stress, low moods, and anxiety. By completing 'missions', you can discover mental health strategies that are quick, easily achievable, and backed by scientific evidence.
Helps with
Anxiety
Intrusive thoughts