Self-Care: Taking Care of Your Body
Self-care is doing activities to take care of your mental, emotional, and physical health. Practicing self-care helps us reduce stress and manage our emotions better. Lack of self-care can lead to increased stress and illness overtime. While taking care of our physical health is only one part of effective self-care it directly impacts our mental and emotional health. This makes taking care of our body important!
Perhaps you’re interested in doing more self-care but you’re not sure where to begin. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches a skill called Taking care of your mind by taking care of your body and can be remembered as the PLEASE skills. This skill has 5 steps that when followed help you become less receptible to stress and improve your well-being!
- Treat PhysicaL illness
If you’re sick, go to the doctor. Take your medication as prescribed. Stay up to date with yearly check-ups. - Balance Eating
Eat food that nourishes your body and gives you energy. Eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. - Avoid mood-Altering substances
Stay away from illegal drugs and limit/be mindful of drinking intake (if at all). - Balance Sleep
Try and stay on a consistent sleep schedule where you get about 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night or where you’re getting the amount of sleep that helps you feel your best.
- Get Exercise
Try to engage in some type of exercise every day! 20 minutes of daily exercise can help with stress levels and mood.
If you or a loved one are struggling please consider scheduling an appointment with a therapist at the Summit Counseling Center by calling 678-893-5300 or contacting us via our website www.summitcounseling.org.