International Self-Care Day is on July 24th every year. This day raises awareness of the benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and prioritizing one’s physical and mental health 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With challenges like the coronavirus pandemic to everyday hardships and stressors, it’s important to prioritize our well-being so we can feel good and be in the position to be there for others. Below is more about National Self-Care Day 2022 and tips on how to have a self-care day of your own.
What Is International Self-Care Day?
International Self-Care Day was founded by the International Self-Care Foundation (ISF) in 2011 to promote personal care and support as a vital foundation of health. As more and more people open up about their mental health struggles and need for support, International Self-Care Day serves as a reminder of how crucial it is to check in with ourselves daily.
This day symbolizes the benefits of practicing self-care 24/7. In other words, although this event is held on one day, International Self-Care Day does not just relate self-care and love to one day a year but rather encourages everyone to practice it daily.
Additionally, the ISF creates a new theme for International Self-Care Day every year. Some past themes include Self-Care is For Life, Get Better With Self-Care, and Treat Yourself to Better Health. While the 2022 theme for the International Self-Care theme has yet to be released, we’re sure it’s going to be great!
Why Is Self-Care Important?
There’s a major misconception of self-care being synonymous with self-indulgence or selfishness, but that’s not true. Self-care should not be confused with these behaviors, nor should it be an excuse for self-indulgence or selfishness.
Self-care means taking care of yourself so you can be healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually. When someone prioritizes self-care, they set themselves up for success in their homes, jobs, ability to care for others, and in their day-to-day lives.
Self-care has become a more popular theme recently. In fact, according to research conducted by Google, searches for “self-care” have more than doubled since 2015.1
What’s more, while mental illness has always existed, the coronavirus pandemic brought it to the forefront. The isolation, separation, and loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the mental health of many, contributing to anxiety, depression, and more.
Nowadays, there seems to be an epidemic of mental illness, and everyone seems to be feeling it. However, with this epidemic comes a wave of support needed to combat it.
As a Banyan Lake Worth rehab that offers mental health therapy and support, we understand that self-care isn’t just a romanticized trend on social media, but rather it’s a key part of the answer to how we can all better cope with daily stressors and stick around longer for those we love. Self-care can help with burnout and stress, something that many people with fast-paced lifestyles can understand.
Self-care can help you cope with the stress of maintaining a family, dealing with a chronic disease, managing your mental health, and more. If you haven’t been focusing on your health lately, now is the time to start.
Self-Care Day Ideas to Try
Self-care is taking steps to tend your physical and emotional health to the best of your abilities. If you want to start prioritizing your health, but don’t know where to start, below are some International Self-Care Day activities and ideas you can try:
- Practice meditation
- Do breathing exercises
- Pamper yourself with skincare
- Sit down and watch the weather
- Watch a feel-good (or your favorite) movie
- Listen to your favorite songs
- Go outside
- Clean and declutter your space
- Drink more water
- Incorporate healthier meals into your diet
- Take a nap
- Get your hair down
- Take a bubble bath
- Order in dinner
- Do something crafty
- Burn a candle
- Do something active (for fun, not just exercise)
- Get to those “annoying tasks” you’ve been avoiding
- Get to bed early or sleep in late
- Play hooky from work or school (make sure this doesn’t put you behind, though)
- Edit who you follow on social media according to how they make you feel and why you’re following them
- Go to a museum
- Read a good book
- Get into a new hobby
- Unplug for the rest of the day (this means putting your electronic devices away and being present)
Get Help for Mental Health Today
While International Self-Care Day is only once a year, it’s there to remind us that self-care should be a daily thing we do to keep ourselves healthy and happy. While our self-care day ideas can positively impact your mental health, they aren’t a substitution for professional support.
If you’re struggling with mental illness, our Lake Worth, Florida, drug rehab offers various forms of mental health care, including co-occurring disorder treatment for individuals who struggle with both mental illness and drug use. We also offer disorder-specific programs, such as bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression treatment in Florida.
A major part of self-care is getting yourself support. Call Behavioral Health of the Palm Beaches today at 561-220-3981 to get started.
Source:
- Google Trends – “self-care”
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