Title: How Does Self-Care Affect Mental Health? - Mission Harbor Behavioral Health
Headings: How Does Self-Care Affect Mental Health?
How Does Self-Care Affect Mental Health?
What Is Self-Care?
What Do Studies Say About Self-Care and Mental Health?
How to Practice Self-Care
Find Help When You Need It
Sam Dekin

Content: For extraverted people, being around other people in a social setting may meet their emotional needs. Introverted people may prefer an evening watching a movie with a close friend or significant other to get their social needs met. Some swear by warm bubble baths, facial masks, and quiet music, while others want to hit the gym, take a road trip, drink a coffee, or even take some time to clean their living space thoroughly. There are practically endless ways to practice self-care, and it all boils down to doing things that you enjoy or need. While many people tend to think of pampering themselves or indulging in guilty pleasures as self-care, it doesn’t just end there. Self-care also encompasses all the things you need to do to remain healthy, reduce stress, and feel as mentally well as possible. This means that getting a massage is self-care, but so is cleaning your home to reduce your stress. Enjoying an ice cream on a warm day counts as self-care, but so does attending therapy sessions to address your emotional needs, trauma, or mental illnesses. What Do Studies Say About Self-Care and Mental Health? Because self-care is the practice of caring for your physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing, it shouldn’t be surprising to learn that it does, in fact, have an effect on your mental health.