(Warning: this post includes frank discussions of a variety of mental health problems, including references to suicidal thoughts, and self-harm.)
You’ve probably heard, at some point in the course of your internetage, the phrase ‘self-care.’
Hopefully, what you’ve heard has been positive. Unfortunately, you may have heard others mocking people who practice self-care, or calling it selfish.
Self-care is not selfish. Self-care is vital for everyone.
Just as everyone has both mental and physical health, though not necessarily mental or physical health *problems,* likewise everyone can (and should) practice self-care as a way of keeping yourself as happy and healthy as possible.
Disclaimer time: I am not a medical or mental health professional. I’m a blogger with personal experiences of mental health problems — OK? OK
So, what is self-care?
Well, definitions vary. The only constant seems to be ‘taking care of yourself’ — which, y’know, duh.
But that, at its heart, is what it is. It’s looking after yourself — no matter what that may entail.