Self-Care or Depression? How to Recognize the Difference

Self-care is best thought of as a type of mental and physical care provided by you rather than an outside professional. Self-care encompasses a wide range of activities and actions you can take to make yourself feel better on a daily basis and help empower you to live a fuller, more well-balanced life.

With mental health issues and depression rapidly on the rise, there has never been a more critical time to act and create a self-care plan. Many people need more support than they currently have and want to take back control of their mental health treatment. Self-care provides an excellent outlet to achieve just this.

Creating a self-care regimen has been clinically proven to help individuals reduce stress and anxiety and improve their outlook on the future, personal relationships, and even physical health.

In today’s article, we will be exploring the role self-care plays in the fight against depression. Additionally, we will walk through a few key components needed to create an effective self-care plan of your own.

Can Self-Care Help Depression?

In many cases, self-care can significantly help fight against the negative feelings stemming from depression. This is especially true in our post-COVID world, where self-care and mental health care are gaining visibility, and efforts are being made to fight against social isolation and depression.

Self-care helps provide a sense of structure to your life and empowers you to take daily positive action. Still, it should not be viewed as a “cure” for clinical depression. There is no cure, only treatment options and symptom management. As such, self-care is best viewed as complementary to evidence-based treatments rather than a replacement or alternative. 

Evidence-based depression treatment options such as psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, and medications have been shown to provide the best long-lasting outcomes for those suffering from depression and other mental health issues. 

When Should I Seek Professional Help?

If you are wondering whether or not you should seek professional help for your feelings of depression, it is overwhelmingly likely that it is in your best interest to do so. They will be able to provide you with balanced, informed advice and help ensure that you have the necessary tools to improve your mental health.

One of the largest blockers preventing people from reaching out and seeking help is a lack of financial resources to pay for treatment. To help with this, the National Institute of Mental Health has compiled a free resource filled with information curated to help those in need find suitable and affordable mental health care services. It is also available in Spanish.

The Benefits of Self-Care

When implemented as part of your daily routine, self-care tends to have a positive impact on virtually every aspect of your life. These benefits include increased focus, productivity, self-esteem, and many more.

Despite this wide range of benefits, a stigma against self-care persists. It is all too common for people to feel guilty for taking the time to prioritize and take care of themselves, fearing that they may look selfish or even egotistical.

Push against this stigma. Quality of life improves for everyone when you take the time to take care of and prioritize yourself. Always put your mental health needs first and create a sustainable self-care plan that works for you.

3 Steps to Develop an Effective Self-Care Program

Understanding the need and function of a self-care program is an excellent first step toward developing a comprehensive mental health care plan, but that alone it is not enough. Consistent work is needed to put into action.

1. Reduce and Manage Stress

Stress management should be at the forefront of your self-care plan. Think critically about what actions you can take to keep stress at a manageable level during your daily life while acknowledging that it will never go away entirely. The key here is mitigation and management.

There are many ways this can be achieved. Some of the most common methods include yoga, deep or guided breathing, and visualization. The specific action or activity taken to reduce stress is unimportant. All that matters is that it works for you and your set of circumstances.

2. Balance Physical and Mental Health

Both physical and mental health needs must be considered as equally important parts of overall health and wellness in order to create a successful self-care program. Plans emphasizing one over the other will always be inherently unbalanced and therefore less effective than they could be.

Many people find that working on physical health plays a significant role in boosting mental health, and vice versa. This can be achieved in many ways, such as going to the gym or joining a local sports club.

Participating in a team-based physical activity can be an excellent way to meet new people and forge positive relationships. Solo activities, on the other hand, can provide much-needed time for reflection and mindfulness.

3. Maintain a Consistent Routine

Self-care programs can only work when they are implemented as part of a consistent everyday routine. Your self-care regimen should be thought of in the same way as brushing your teeth or making breakfast. It’s just something that you do every day without thought.

While it is inevitable that you will find yourself too busy or tired on some days and overlook your self-care regimen, this should actively be avoided. Try to always keep the positives that your self-care plan brings to your life centered whenever life gets busy and makes you want to skip out.

Develop a Self-Care Plan With SoberMind Recovery

SoberMind Recovery is a Los Angeles recovery center that offers a wide range of specialized treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation programs, ranging from LGBTQ sober living to dual diagnosis treatment. They also provide individual, group, and cognitive behavioral therapy options.

Our mission here at SoberMind is to provide individualized, research-backed care in a compassionate and high-quality environment while making a difference in the world of addiction. We help people achieve long-lasting recovery and lead well-balanced lives.

Residents of the Los Angeles area are encouraged to call today 100% free of charge at 818-835-9268 or 819-398-8047 to see if our compassionate, evidence-based treatment options are a good fit for you and your recovery needs.