Self care is defined by Google as the practice to take care of one’s self to preserve or improve ones own health. Googles definition implies that self care is exclusive to your physical health and emphasizes activities such as eating a health meal, getting routine health check ups, and regular body movement. The very same activities can be helpful to your mental health as well. While I agree, that you should prioritize your physical health and doing so can have a positive impact on your mental health, the self care I am referring to today is mental health self care. In other words self care that should encourage your to prioritize and improve your mental health, specifically. Mental health self care is important as it encourages you to identify, reflect, and process the full range of emotions that you experience on a day to day basis. Lack of self care, whether physical or emotional can lead to increased stress, burn-out, guilt, and irritation or frustration. I am sharing 4 Mental Health Self Care Practices to start in 2023 that you can implement today.

4 Self care tips to Improve Mental Health

1. Check how you talk to and think about yourself. If you are often talking negatively, thinking of yourself negatively, down playing your accomplishments or received compliments, work on eliminating that. Our thoughts and words manifest. Our brain believes what we tell it and if you are constantly referring to yourself as stupid, an idiot, foolish or other negative terms, your brain believes it to be true. Start by becoming aware of it, and then slowly working to eliminate the negative self talk and negative thoughts about yourself. If being positive seems too difficult start with being less negative.

2. Check in with yourself daily. This! Checking in with yourself is so important. If you are wondering what that looks like, it looks like asking yourself what you need, why you need it, and actually giving it to yourself. Whether that be rest, food, love, release some tension, closure, ect. Checking in with yourself should be done as often, if not more, than you check in on any person, place, or thing. Make it a habit to check in with yourself before or after you check on your elderly parent, child, job, friend, Amazon package ect.

3. Accept things for what they are. I’m sure you have thought or said to yourself, it is what it is. That statement reigns true in more cases than not. The secret to improved mental health is to see things just for what they are absent of a victim or negative mindset. An example, say a friend says he/she is going to call you back and most cases they do. This particular time, they don’t call you back for some days. By day 3 your’ve called them and they have not answered. Instead of thinking, they have found a new friend better than me (victim) or they are acting brand new (negative). You simply resolve to they just have not called you back and until you do know the reason by speaking directly to the friend, that friend not calling you back is just that, a friend who has not called you back.

4. Identify and process your emotions and thoughts. This piggybacks off of number 2. Checking in with yourself is great, but if you are not processing through the emotions, your are doing yourself a disservice. You may be able to do this alone with journaling or it may require you to go to therapy. As a therapist, therapy can be so beneficial and identifying and processing emotions, as well as provide a safe and neutral place to be emotional and expressive of your thoughts and emotions.

Implementing the above steps can be done immediately to start improving your mental health self care. What other tips do you have for mental health self care? What do you do for mental health self care?

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Disclaimer: I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, but I am not YOUR Licensed Clinical Social Worker. These blog posts are based on my personal opinions, reflections, and insights and are not intended to be taken as professional therapeutic intervention(s) and/or advice. Further, please note these blogs are not intended to serve as and/or replace formal counseling services. If you are in need or interested in taking part in direct therapeutic services, please contact your insurance provider’s customer service for assistance. You may also consult website such as (but not limited to) Psychology Today and Therapy for Black Girls to find a therapist. If you are located in NC, MD, SC, or VA and would like to work with me, click here to ensure I accept your insurance or check my rates and here to schedule an appointment.