Self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health.  When it comes to your mental health, self-care can help you manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy.  Even small acts of self-care in your daily life can have a big impact.

Taking Care of You | Self-Care Tips

• Get regular exercise. 

• Eat healthy, regular meals and stay hydrated. 

• Make sleep a priority. 

• Try a relaxing activity. 

• Set goals and priorities. 

• Practice gratitude. 

• Focus on positivity. 

• Stay connected. 

Self-care looks different for everyone, and it is important to find what you need and enjoy.  It may take trial and error to discover what works best for you.  In addition, although self-care is not a cure for mental illnesses, understanding what causes or triggers your mild symptoms and what coping techniques work for you can help manage your mental health.

For other ideas for healthy practices for your mind, body, surroundings, and relationships, see the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Wellness Toolkits:

• Emotional Wellness Toolkit

• Social Wellness Toolkit

• Physical Wellness Toolkit

Experiencing Severe or Distressing Symptoms | Seek Professional Help

If you are experiencing severe or distressing symptoms that have lasted 2 weeks or more, such as:

• Difficulty sleeping

• Appetite changes that result in unwanted weight changes

• Struggling to get out of bed in the morning because of mood

• Difficulty concentrating

• Loss of interest in things you usually find enjoyable

• Inability to perform usual daily functions and responsibilities

Don’t wait until your symptoms are overwhelming.  If you don't know where to start talk about your concerns with your primary care provider or to the Adult Wellness LPC. 

In Mental Health Crisis | Need Immediate Help

If you are thinking about harming yourself or attempting suicide, tell someone who can help right away

• Call 911 for emergency services.

• Go to the nearest hospital emergency room.

• Go the crisis helpline page.

If you know someone who is in a crisis

• Do not leave him or her alone. 

• Try to get the person to seek help immediately.

• Take seriously any comments about suicide or wishing to die.

Suicide is complicated and tragic, but it can be preventative.  Knowing the warning signs for suicide and how to get help can help save lives. 

Warning Signs | Suicide

The behaviors listed below may be some of the signs that someone is thinking about suicide.  If these warning signs apply to you or someone you know, get help soon as possible.

• TALK ABOUT:

  • Wanting to die

  • Great guilt or shame

  • Being a burden to others

• FEELING:

  • Empty, hopless, trapped, or having no reason to live

  • Extremely sad, more anxious, agitted, or full of rage

  • Unbearable emotional or physical pain

• CHANGING BEHAVIOR, SUCH AS:

  • Making a plan or researching ways to die

  • Withdrawing from friends, saying goodbye, giving away important items, or making a will

  • Taking dangerous risks

  • Displaying extreme mood swings

  • Eating or sleeping more or less

  • Using drugs or alcohol more often

5 Action Steps | Get Help

1. ASK: “Are you thinking about killing yourself?”

2. KEEP THEM SAFE: Reducing a suicidal person’s access to highly lethal items or places is an important part of suicide prevention. While this is not always easy, asking if the at-risk person has a plan and removing or disabling the lethal means can make a difference.

3. BE THERE: Listen carefully and learn what the individual is thinking and feeling.

4. HELP THEM CONNECT: Connect them with crisis helplines or a trusted individual like a family member, friend, or mental health professional.

5. STAY CONNECTED: Staying in touch after a crisis or after being discharged from care can make a difference. 

Help Guides | Self-Help Information

Trustworthy information to use to improve your mental wellness and make healthy changes. 

HelpGuide.Org & National Institute of Mental Health

Meditation Techniques

Alcohol & Substance Abuse

• Substance Use and Co-Occurring Mental Concerns

• Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health

• Overcoming Alcohol Addiction

• Drug Abuse and Addiction

• Self-Medicating

• Helping Someone with Drinking Problem

• AA and Other Peer Support Groups

Anger

• Anger Management

Anxiety

• What is Anxiety

• Anxiety Attacks

• I Feel Anxious

• How to Stop Worrying and Feel Less Anxious

Conflict Resolution 

• Conflict Resolution Skills

• Managing Conflict with Humor

Conflicts with Partner or Family Members

• Family Issues

• Dealing with Difficult Family Relationships

• Improving Family Relationships

• Setting Healthy Boundaries in Relationships

Coping with illness

• Coping with a Life-Threatening Illness

• How to Help Someone with Mental Illness

Dealing with an abusive relationship

• Creating Safer Communities

• Do not be a Victim of Care Abuse

• How to Get Out of an Abusive Relationship

• Domestic Violence and Abuse

• How Attachment Styles Affect Adult Relationships

• Tips for Building a Healthy Relationships

• Codependency

• Emotional Intelligence in Love and Relationships

Depression

• What is Depression

• Depression Types and Causes

• Depression Treatment

• Depressions Symptoms and Warning Signs

• Coping with Depression

• Helping Someone with Depression 

• I Feel Depressed

• I Feel Lonely

Eating disorders

• What are Eating Disorders

• Eating Disorder Association

Grief and loss

• Coping with Grief and Loss

• When a Loved One is Terminally Ill

Low self-esteem

• Rate your Self-Esteem

• Boost your Self-Esteem

Obsessions and Compulsions

• What is OCD

• OCD Self-Help 

• OCD Association

Sexual abuse

• Friendship of Women

• Recover from Sexual Trauma

Stress

• Stress Symptoms, Signs, and Causes

• Stress Management

• Stress at Work

• Quick Stress Relief

• Stress and Your Health

• Social Support for Stress Relief

• Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief

• Ways to Reduce Stress with Music

• Stress Relief Guide

• Caregiver Stress and Burnout

• I'm so Stressed Out

Suicide - throughs of harming yourself

• Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

• Suicide Prevention

• Suicide Grief

• Healing After a Suicide Attempt

Trauma - adjusting to civilian life after ware and post-war traumatic experiences

• Get Help

• Understanding PTSD

• Understanding PTSD Treatment

• How Can I Help

• What is PTSD

• Coping with Traumatic Events

• PTSD

• How to Cope with Traumatic Events

• Helping Someone with PTSD

• Emotional and Psychological Trauma