Self-Care 24-7
Stacia Barrett, LCSW-S
Director of Clinical Programming, CIS Dallas
Self-care brings to mind different practices depending on our personal leanings, but it is a practice that many of us have accepted we should be engaged in. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes Self-care Month from June 24th through July 24th, with July 24th being Self-Care day to represent the 24-7 nature of self-care practices. This is meant to illustrate that taking care of ourselves should be a focus all of the time. While this additional shift can feel like a chore at times, the benefits make the efforts well worth it. Mental Health First Aid USA states in this 2022 article that: “Engaging in a self-care routine has been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, increase happiness, and more. It can help you adapt to changes, build strong relationships and recover from setbacks. From a physical health perspective, self-care also reduces heart disease, stroke and cancer.”
With such a long list of potential benefits we know you can’t wait to get started. WHO provides the following guidelines for self-care actions.
- Engage in regular physical activity-examples include walking, dancing, or participating in team sports or group fitness activities
- Eat a healthy diet- variety is the key here to ensure you receive the various nutrients you need each day
- Mental wellness activities- spending time in nature, getting adequate sleep and handling stress head on all work toward mental wellbeing
- Stopping or cutting back on alcohol or tobacco
For more from WHO on self-care, view their complete article here.
As we approach the back to school season, with the inherent stresses that often accompany transitions, we encourage you to make a plan for your self-care practices. You can take this a step further by being the role model for self-care in your family or work spaces. Save the image below to create your own self-care plan and keep it saved as a reminder of your commitment to the many benefits of self-care.
