May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and as I always do, I concentrate my content on some of the mental health topics during this time. You can check out past content by clicking the Mental Health tab under the Dimensions of Wellness Menu.
Awhile back I was scrolling through YouTube and this video popped up in my feed. Self care is a really hot topic in wellness right now, so I clicked on that bad boy. And Chelsea did a pretty good job of summing up my feelings.
See, self care is crazy important. I don’t want to minimize that fact. There are certain things that each of us should be doing, if not daily, at least on the very regular to maintain our Mental Health Dimension. But there are a couple of roadblocks to clearly defined self care.
First, each of us chooses to define what falls into our Mental Health Dimensions a bit differently. For example, I choose to separate out Intellectual needs as a different Dimension in my personal DOW model. It fits my needs as a teacher more completely. But some of you may include those things (like reading regularly or getting your continuing education credits) in your Mental Health Dimension. It just means that things I need to keep my mental health in top shape are different than what you might need.
Second, mental health and wellness overlaps with a lot of different areas. And this is where the Dimensions of Wellness model wins the day. This model has that as an underlying assumption. What we do, or don’t do, in other areas affects mental health, and vice versa. So in other words, things like making sure we are eating enough fruits and veggies can affect our mental well being. Things like taking proper care to budget our income can affect our mental health.
But those two roadblocks are easy to clear if you are paying attention and planning. The real roadblock that we have to work around at this point is the messaging we are receiving. The idea of self care has been co-opted by advertisers trying to sell us what they think we need. If you pay attention, self care “products” are largely things that are marketed towards women. And those products are largely meant to help us “relax.”
Two problems there: first, men need to prioritize self care, too. And until I see a beard face mask mass marketed while a burly Brawny Paper Towel man grills, I don’t think men are receiving this message. (Just to be clear, I don’t believe that image encompasses “men,” just as I don’t believe advertisers are showing proper ranges of women.) It is true that on average men and women may process things differently, but again, that doesn’t mean men shouldn’t be on the self care bandwagon, it just means they may need different things.
And about those things we need for self care… most of the commonly accepted universal self care things are free. Gratitude practices (you guys knew I was gonna say it), meditation or reflection, daily movement, and spending quality time with friends and family are some of the best things you can do for your mental health. And the only cost is your time.
So here is the real issue. We look at the commercial on TV and see the woman chilling out with her sheet mask on or scroll Instagram and see the perfect flower petals to complement the essential oils strewn in the tub. The message our brain receives is to go and buy these things for this experience. But what we should really be seeing (because you can’t avoid advertising or Instagram) is that someone is taking the TIME to care for themselves.
Don’t get me wrong, if taking a half hour to sit in a bath with a mask on your face is what you need to be thankful for what you have or to relieve some tension, then by all means, you do you. It is certainly not your only option for self care. My point is only that you don’t have to purchase anything to include self care in your routine.
What you need to do is take the time to figure out what two or three things help you feel calm, clear, and strong mentally. And then find the time to make these two or three things a very regular priority.
What is something free you prioritize for your self care? Tell us in the comments!
