Making a Plan for National Self-Care Day

Stress, anxiety, depression, anger, and more are all common emotions, not just for those overcoming substance use disorder (SUD) or mental health disorders but for each person merely navigating daily life. Personal and interpersonal stresses, workplace challenges, and more all take a toll. It is physically and emotionally exhausting to juggle the deluge of responsibilities, obligations, and stresses that make up each daily routine. Self-care is not just encouraged, but necessary, to balance these stresses with rest and attention to personal health. April 5^th marks National Self-Care Day – a time to step back and tend to personal needs and address these stresses and challenges. 

Self-care is any kind of act that seeks to improve a person’s health or to maintain a healthy physical, mental, or spiritual state. Because each person will have unique needs when it comes to providing the mind and body time to rest, recuperate, and rejuvenate, self-care is intentionally open-ended and flexible. Each person can find the methods of self-care that work best for them. 

For alumni of Hawaii Island Recovery’s dedicated addiction or mental health treatment programs, self-care is an important part of sustaining healthy change and sobriety. Not only is stress still common in daily life but an individual in recovery must navigate these daily stresses while still addressing urges, cravings, or managing difficult emotions. Daily exercises in self-care are crucial for maintaining resilience to bounce back from stress and to prevent relapse or other unhealthy coping strategies.

For many, self-care may feel selfish at first, and an individual may feel guilty if they are not tending to responsibilities and instead taking time for themselves. However, National Self-Care Day can be a time to explore the benefits of self-care in daily life and can empower even more to begin incorporating routine and effective self-care practices for a healthier approach to daily life. 

National Self-Care Day landing at the beginning of spring can provide a plethora of unique options for those looking to explore the self-care practices that work best for them. Whether an individual is continuing to develop self-care strategies following their time at Hawaii Island Recovery’s luxury mental health facilities or is looking to begin caring for their own mental and emotional health this April, making a plan to commit to self-care on National Self-Care Day can be instrumental in facilitating healthy change. 

With springtime comes warmer weather and new opportunities. Nature can provide a huge benefit for those looking to engage in effective self-care. Getting outside can help alumni get moving and exercise, with physical activity being a great way to care for a person’s body and improve mood. Others may utilize the outdoors to feel less emotionally or physically constrained. This feeling of freedom that comes with feeling the wind in the air and the lack of office walls can be a great change of pace and empower an individual to focus on their own needs without being surrounded by the stresses of daily life. 

Going on a nature walk, hiking, going to a local park, eating lunch with family and friends outside, and more are all great ways to get out in nature on National Self-Care Day and birth a healthy approach to physical, emotional, and even spiritual healing. 

Stress from responsibilities, continued recovery efforts, financial burdens, professional stresses, and more are all part of daily life, and it can be impossible to truly escape stress. However, National Self-Care Day can be a time to allow one’s mind some respite from these thoughts. 

Meditation and yoga are both great ways to practice self-care and mindfulness and can be done either from the comfort of a person’s own home or as part of a social group. Setting up a comfortable quiet space at home, using online programs, guides, apps, and more can all help each person effectively engage in these potential self-care outlets. However, it is common for those trying yoga or meditation to be uncomfortable at first, and regular engagement is necessary to best benefit from the practice.

Others may benefit from taking a bit of time to enjoy themselves, detaching from the stresses and responsibilities for a time. Using National Self-Care Day to allow oneself to watch a movie, read a book, or enjoy a favorite television show or video game can all be ways to distance oneself from daily stresses and allow time to recover. 

New experiences can be a great way of letting go of stress or adding a new element to otherwise routine monotony. For some, these new experiences can birth new interests and hobbies, while others may engage in these new experiences and end up with a fun shared experience alongside friends, family, and loved ones. Trying a new recipe or healthy meal, making a plan to check out a new hobby, and more are all ways to engage in National Self-Care Day.

Self-care is a part of every recovery journey, yet it should also be incorporated for everyone to best navigate daily life. Each person can benefit from providing their minds and bodies time to rest. National Self-Care Day is an opportunity to explore what self-care means to each person, yet one day of self-care will not effectively address each person’s consistent stresses. Rather, the day is an opportunity to explore and encourage the continued use of new strategies to care for each person’s mental, physical, and emotional health.

National Self-Care Day is an opportunity to truly step back, relax, and assess your needs, goals, and stresses. Stress can be a constant in daily life, and we at Hawaii Island Recovery champion the opportunity to explore the benefits of stepping back and having a plan to put yourself and your health first. Our dedicated luxury mental health facilities are all equipped with trained professionals and like-minded peers to help you explore your own needs and goals, as well as address any self-destructive coping strategies that may have manifested to cope with the stresses of daily life. To learn more about how you can have a plan for National Self-Care Day, call us at (866) 390-5070.