Two Types of Self-care and How They Can Positively Impact Your Mental Health

We talk a lot about the benefits of self-care. It’s good for physical health and mental health, and it makes you feel good. But sometimes it can be hard to know where to start, and exactly how to take care of your mental health.

Self-care, the healthy practices that reduce stress and maintain and enhance your physical and mental wellbeing, releases feel-good hormones. You can implement it no matter how you’ve been feeling, and it can be whatever you want. You don’t have to do the same thing twice and can tweak your self-care plan depending on how you’re feeling. There’s just one “rule” for self-care: Whatever you choose to do should refuel you and not make you feel more stressed or anxious.

The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) curriculum lays out two types of self-care strategies — physical, and mental and emotional.