Every year, on July 24, people across the world participate in International Self-Care Day. The date reflects that self-care should be a priority 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. You might commit to starting a mental well-being self-care practice, but just like a New Year’s resolution, it can easily fall to the wayside.
Mental health self-care shouldn’t be on just one day on your calendar. It should be a daily priority, with self-care activities that you can seamlessly incorporate into your life. See how you can keep your promises and turn them into reality by following the five easy steps below.
5 mental health self-care steps that you can easily integrate into your day-to-day
You might feel you don’t have time for self-care activities or you have no idea where to begin. That’s why we’ve curated a list of five different activities in the Calm web and mobile app, a preventive mental health tool, that you can easily implement as part of your daily routine. They won’t take up too much of your time but will give you a much-needed mental health self-care boost. Let’s get started!
- Begin your daily mental well-being practice with Jay Shetty
It can sometimes feel impossible to find time to make your mental well-being a priority. As a first step, try out our highly accessible and entertaining Daily Jay series with Jay Shetty to get your mental well-being practice off to a great start. You’ll be able to retreat to your inner sanctuary, create positive intentions, and take actionable steps to move toward your ideal life. All in seven minutes. - Take a break and do light stretches with Mel Mah
Next, make sure to take care of your body too. Most of us have sedentary lifestyles, and the thought of committing to working out every day can be daunting. But even a few minutes of gentle stretches can be beneficial for both your mind and body. In the Daily Move series with Mel Mah, you’ll move through light exercises that you can do during the workday or when you need to unwind from the day. This easy and approachable movement series is designed to help you enjoy and feel good about your body, reinforcing the mind-body connection. Try incorporating it into your routine for a few days and notice how your body and mind feel afterward. - Sink into deep rest with sleep stories from Harry Styles
An important step in mental self-care is getting good sleep. If you have trouble falling asleep or wake up often during the night, try our sleep stories narrated by celebrities like Harry Styles. Dream with Me by Harry Styles is a soothing and beautifully written sleep story that’s the perfect lullaby to lull yourself into a deep and restful sleep. If you’ve come this far, you’re on your way to taking good care of your mental well-being! - Deepen your self-care practices with Lama Rod Owens
After you’ve incorporated steps 1, 2, and 3 into your daily routine, let’s deepen your self-care practice. In the Radical Self-Care series with Lama Rod Owens, he shares self-care tools that you can use to create a nourishing practice of reflection and rest. You’ll start your self-care journey with the basics of the practice and move on to getting to know yourself deeply.
- Learn to better manage your emotions, including anxiety, stress, and anger, with Tamara Levitt
Every single day we encounter various emotions that can pull us in different directions, whether from challenges at home or stressful situations at work. As the last step of integrating mental health self-care into your life, start learning how to understand, investigate, and soothe your emotions. This can help you get back to being centered and grounded throughout the day. Try out the Emotions series with Tamara as she guides you through 10-minute guided meditations that can help you manage a wide range of emotions: anxiety, burnout, stress, anger, grief, and more.
Finally, if you’ve reached step 5, congratulate yourself and indulge in a special treat, whatever that might be for you!
A friendly reminder for you to take away
Mental health self-care is not just a one-day activity; it’s a lifelong journey of commitment to daily practice. You’re putting yourself first and giving yourself what you need so you can fully show up for your family and colleagues. When you hold yourself accountable and become a good example for others around you, the wider community will start feeling the ripple effects and commit to their own mental health self-care routine.
Start today—your future self will thank you.
For more information on how your employees can continue to deepen their self-care practices, connect with our Calm specialists and let’s work together to create a customized solution for your organization’s unique needs.
