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Self-care

Discover everything you need to know about self-care. From free resources and helpful tips, we can help you take a moment to yourself.

Today, the idea of self-care is considered an important part of maintaining positive physical and mental health, but given the popularity of the term, its real practical applications can sometimes get lost.

Engaging in physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional self-care is an important part of everyone's daily endeavour to maintain good mental health. 

Identifying and addressing your self-care needs, and finding out what does that best, is something that takes time. 

Examples of self-care

There are many different types of self-care and depending on your own needs, you may find some more useful than others. 

Each self-care activity will address a different need. It might be physical (like exercising), mental (like meditating) or social (like having a coffee with friends). 

Recognising negative feelings, and what type of self-are would alleviate those feelings, is a key part of a good self-care routine. 

Some self-care activities people find helpful include:

Yoga and meditation
Sleep hygiene and management
Mindful eating
Exercise classes and groups

What is self-care?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines self-care as:

“The ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider”.

The ultimate goal of self-care is to maintain healthy mental and physical illness, achieved by engaging in various activities that are geared towards that goal.

Self-care includes focusing on things like your:

  • Hygiene and health
  • Lifestyle (including sports and leisure activities)
  • Professional life
  • Personal relationships
  • Environment (including your living conditions, both personally and in your community)
  • Socioeconomic circumstances (including your personal income)

Self-care is all too often relegated to a luxury in life, but it's of vital importance to healthy living. Good self-care exercises make us better able to deal with the stresses of everyday life.

Discover self-care exercises

Explore specialist-led videos from Priory experts, featuring guided exercises and techniques designed to support your self-care journey.

Find all of our therapist-led exercises on our YouTube channel.

Why is self-care important?

Self-care can sometimes be dismissed as a luxury, or something you can only engage in when you have the time. However, we can all go through daily challenges in our lives, increasing our stress levels or leaving us feeling anxious or unhappy.

Self-care is designed to reduce the impact of negative emotions like anxiety, stress, anger and sadness, and help us to maintain balance in our lives. It also helps us to develop a sense of purpose and belonging, motivating us to achieve life goals and generally improve our quality of life.

It can also be very powerful for people suffering with mental health conditions. Self-care might be used to help:

  • Recover from a mental health disorder, such as depression or an anxiety disorder
  • Manage symptoms while you're going through treatment for mental health

Self-care also has a physical health element too. Physical activities, like exercising, eating healthily and sleeping well are also forms of self-care that have positive long-term effects on both our physical and mental health.

Benefits of self-care

Reduce stress

By prioritising relaxation and enjoyment, the mind becomes more resilient, reducing the negative effects of chronic stress.

Improve physical health

A healthy body supports mental wellbeing, as physical and mental health are interconnected, with improvements in one area often boosting the other.

Enhance self-esteem

Boost self-esteem and confidence as you invest time and energy in your own wellbeing, nurturing a more positive self-image.

Increased emotional resilience

Self-care allows for time to process emotions, unwind, and gain perspective, making it easier to handle life’s challenges.

Better focus and productivity

When you are well-rested and have had time to recharge, your mind is sharper and more efficient.

Stronger relationships

Looking after your own wellbeing ensures that you have the energy and emotional capacity to nurture relationships.

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