Today is International Self-Care Day
Observed on July 24, International Self-Care Day is a global reminder to pause, reflect, and invest in ourselves. Self-care is more than bubble baths and spa days—it’s a proactive, daily practice that supports your mental health, reduces stress, and helps manage anxiety, depression, and emotional burnout. If you’ve been wondering how to start a self-care practice or deepen the one you already have, you’re in the right place.
What Is Self-Care?
Self-care refers to the daily practices and intentional actions individuals take to preserve or improve their health and well-being. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), self-care includes activities related to hygiene, nutrition, lifestyle, environmental and socioeconomic factors, and self-medication (WHO, 2019). More recently, the concept has been expanded to encompass mental, emotional, and social well-being.
Why Self-Care Matters for Mental Health
Over the past two decades, research in psychology, neuroscience, and health sciences has consistently highlighted the powerful role of self-care in improving both mental and physical well-being. Far from being a luxury or a trend, self-care is now recognized as a critical component of emotional regulation, stress management, and long-term health outcomes. Here are some of the most well-documented and meaningful benefits of starting self-care practice:
1. Reducing Stress and Preventing Burnout
Chronic stress is a major contributor to anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and other mental health challenges. Regular self-care helps regulate the nervous system, reduce stress hormones such as cortisol, and provide time for rest and recovery. Engaging in activities like mindfulness, physical exercise, time in nature, or journaling are known to lower stress and boost mood (Grossman et al., 2004; Berman et al., 2012).
2. Supporting Emotional Regulation and Resilience
Self-care creates opportunities to process emotions, reflect on experiences, and build emotional resilience. It strengthens one’s ability to cope with life’s challenges, losses, and transitions. A consistent self-care routine fosters self-awareness, which is critical in recognizing signs of overwhelm and seeking support when needed.
3. Enhancing Relationships and Reducing Isolation
Self-care isn’t always a solitary activity. Healthy social connection is a vital part of caring for oneself. Spending time with trusted friends, setting boundaries in relationships, or seeking therapy can enhance mental health and protect against the harmful effects of loneliness and social stress (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015).
4. Managing Mental Health Conditions
For individuals living with conditions like anxiety, depression, PTSD, or bipolar disorder, self-care is an essential part of treatment. While therapy and medication are crucial, daily self-care practices such as structured routines, sleep hygiene, nutrition, and movement contribute significantly to symptom management and recovery (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2021).
How to Start a Self-Care Practice: Simple Steps Toward Better Mental Health
Starting a self-care routine can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re already dealing with stress, anxiety, or burnout. The good news is that self-care doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated. It’s about intentionally making space for your needs, even in small ways. Whether you’re new to the concept or revisiting it, the key is to start where you are and build gradually.
Below are five simple and effective ways to begin a self-care practice that supports your mental health and emotional well-being.
1. Emotional Self-Care: Name What You Feel
A healthy self-care routine begins with tuning into your emotions. Many people move through their day ignoring their feelings, only to find themselves overwhelmed later. Practicing emotional self-care means making space for your emotions without judgment. Start by asking yourself: “What am I feeling right now?” Journaling, talking to a trusted friend, or working with a therapist can help you explore and process your emotions safely. Over time, this practice increases self-awareness and emotional resilience.
Labeling your emotions activates the brain’s regulatory systems and helps reduce emotional intensity (Lieberman et al., 2007).
2. Physical Self-Care: Care for Your Body, Support Your Mind
The mind and body are deeply connected. When your physical health is neglected, your mental health often suffers too. Simple acts of physical self-care—like getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, eating balanced meals, and moving your body—can have a big impact on how you feel emotionally.
You don’t need a gym membership to get started. A short walk, stretching, or even dancing to your favorite song can release feel-good endorphins and reduce stress. Sleep hygiene, in particular, plays a major role in managing anxiety, depression, and focus.
Regular physical self-care is proven to enhance mood, increase energy levels, and reduce symptoms of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
3. Mental Self-Care: Create Calm in a Noisy World
In today’s digital age, your mental space is constantly under pressure—from emails, social media, and the 24-hour news cycle. Practicing mental self-care means protecting your peace. Consider reducing screen time, setting boundaries around media consumption, and making time for mentally nourishing activities like reading, puzzles, or meditation.
Mindfulness and deep-breathing exercises are powerful tools that help calm the nervous system and promote mental clarity. Even just five minutes a day of focused breathing can help reduce anxiety and improve your concentration.
4. Spiritual Self-Care: Find Meaning and Connection
Spiritual self-care isn’t just about religion—it’s about connecting to something greater than yourself. This could be nature, creativity, personal values, or a sense of purpose. When we take time to engage with the deeper meaning of life, we feel more grounded and less alone.
Consider spending time in quiet reflection, meditating, praying, journaling about gratitude, or engaging in creative expression. These practices help cultivate inner peace and perspective, especially in times of stress or uncertainty.
5. Relational Self-Care: Nurture Healthy Connections
Humans are wired for connection. Healthy relationships are essential for mental health. Relational self-care involves setting boundaries with people who drain your energy and spending more time with those who uplift you.
Reach out to a friend, join a support group, or schedule regular check-ins with loved ones. If you’re navigating conflict or isolation, consider therapy to improve communication and relational patterns.
Making Self-Care a Habit, Not a One-Time Fix
The most important thing to remember is that self-care is not selfish or optional—it’s essential. You don’t have to overhaul your entire life in one day. Answer to how to start your self-care is: start small, stay consistent, and choose practices that feel nourishing rather than draining. Over time, these small acts become habits that support your emotional balance, mental clarity, and overall well-being.
On this International Self-Care Day, give yourself permission to begin again. Your mental health matters—and your daily choices, no matter how small, can be powerful steps toward healing.
A Collective Responsibility
While self-care begins with the individual, it is also a systemic and societal responsibility. Workplaces, healthcare systems, and communities must create environments that support self-care—not just as an emergency response to burnout, but as a sustainable, lifelong practice. Making time for oneself should not be a luxury, but a norm. Therefore, starting self-car practice needs to be recognized at the systemic level.
Final Thoughts
On this International Self-Care Day, let’s commit not only to individual acts of well-being but also to shifting the narrative around self-care. It is not selfish—it is survival. And in a world that often pulls our attention outward, taking time to tune inward may be the most radical and healing act we can do for our minds and hearts. If you need support in establishing long lasting self-care talk to our counsellors at Trauma and Stress Counselling.
References
- Berman, M. G., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008). The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychological Science, 19(12), 1207–1212.
- Grossman, P., Niemann, L., Schmidt, S., & Walach, H. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57(1), 35–43.
- Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine, 7(7), e1000316.
- Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., & Way, B. M. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421–428.doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01916.x.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2021). Managing a Mental Health Condition. Retrieved from www.nami.org
- World Health Organization. (2019). Self-care for health. Retrieved from www.who.int
