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There are many ways you can take care of your mental health. But, the best way is through mental health self-care. Practicing self-care for your mental health requires a certain level of self-awareness and knowledge about what you need to heal mentally. For example, it may mean taking a step back from a situation and coming back to it later or journaling about your thoughts and feelings about the situation.
Regardless of what it is, using self-care to care for your mental health is one of the best ways to learn your triggers, track how you feel, and how you want to respond to situations. So, today I am going to show you 50 ways you can practice mental health self-care.
Here are your 50 mental health self-care ideas
Table of Contents
Mental Health Self-Care Ideas
- Take a Nap
- Drink Water
- Eat a Healthy Meal
- Take a Break
- Exercise
- Journal
- Spend Some Alone Time with Yourself
- Cry
- Pamper Self
- Do a Social Media Detox
- Mediate
- Light Candles
- Pray
- Talk to a Therapist
- Listen to Upbeat Music
- Take a Warm Bubble Bath
- Get a Massage
- Read Positive Affirmations/Quotes
- Color
- Draw or Doddle
- Scream into a Pillow
- Text or Call a Loved One
- Go Outside
- Declutter Something
- Organize Something
- Practice Yoga
- Practice Deep Breathing
- Practice Gratitude
- Watch a Comedy
- Indulge in a Hobby
- Read a Good Book
- Make a List of What Makes You Happy
- Try Something New
- Spend Time with Your Pets
- Dance to Good Music
- Say I Love You to Yourself
- Learn to Say NO
- Laugh
- Look at Old Pictures
- Get Creative
- Take Your Meds
- Use Essential Oils and Diffuser
- Do a Skincare Routine
- Get Dressed Up
- Do Your Makeup
- Be One With Nature
- Switch Up Your Daily Routine
- Get More Than 8 Hours of Sleep
- Do Something Fun
- Go Shopping
How Can Self Care Improve Your Mental Health?
It’s much more challenging to make decisions and go about everyday life when you’re emotionally, physically, and spiritually depleted. Self-care helps make you more resilient to these stressors and makes it easier to know how to deal with them. When it comes to your mental health, self-care will improve it by re-energizing your spirit and body.
Mental health self-care is not about making sure you’re no longer depressed or getting rid of the illness. It’s about how you use self-care to make yourself feel better and to pick yourself up enough to seek help if needed. Self-care is essential to living an overall healthy lifestyle and creating healthy stress coping strategies for the future.
Many people struggle to practice self-care when they are at their lowest point. They either feel like it’s pointless, or they no longer want to care for themselves. That’s why it’s more important to practice self-care during these situations than any other time because it’s how you will make yourself feel better.
Where to Learn More About Mental Health?
There are tons of free resources available to anyone who wishes to learn more about mental health or seek help. Of course, if you’re ever unsure about supporting a loved one with depression and anxiety, you can always use the below resources.
If you’re looking for resources in other countries not listed above, please reference https://unitedgmh.org/mental-health-support, which has an extensive list of resources for people who have a mental illness, including those living in third-world countries.
- The National Suicide Hotline (USA): Call +1 (800)-273-8255
- Mind Info (UK):( Call 0 (300)-123-3393
- Samaritans: Call 116-123
- Crisis Text Line (USA): Text NAMI to 741-741
- Suicide Crisis Helpline (South Africa): Call 0 (800)- 567-567
- 24hr Substance Abuse Helpline (South Africa): Call 0 (800)-121-314
- Mental Health Helplines (South Africa) Call 0 (800)- 456-789 or 0 (800)-212-223
These are awesome! The fact that there is 50 practices for our mental health to feel better and resources, I just want to say thank you for taking that time to do this. ?
Thank you for reading. I hope some of these ideas are helpful for you.
Great post! I really love how you have the numbers to centers in South Africa so others can reach out for help if needed.
Thank you! I think it’s important to share all available resources whenever possible, especially for those living in countries outside of the USA.
Great ideas! Looking at old pictures is definitely self care too. They make me so nostalgic and happy.
Me too! I love looking at old photos, especially childhood ones.
i specifically like the scream into a pillow suggestion haha! great post!
It’s true! Lol, screaming into a pillow really sometimes helps, especially when you’re extremely upset and aggravated.
These tips are amazing! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you!