Taking Care of Yourself

Wellness Basics

Include these tips and activities to improve the different areas of your wellness. Supporting your physical health supports your mental wellbeing, too! As you work on your self-care, you'll find they can also help support your resilience and can even be used during tough times. If you think one might not work for you, adjust it to fit your needs and capabilities. It’s all about creating your wellness, your way.

two men walking outside together in the park and talking

Move around and get outside - As much as you are able, move your body and get exercise. Being outdoors can boost your serotonin, Vitamin D, and reduce stress levels.

a young man sitting at a table and eating a salad

Eat healthy food and drink more water - These can keep your energy up, think clearly, and boost your mood.

a group of friends sitting on the grass laughing and smiling

Attend a social event - Connecting with other people can make you feel included.

Sleep well - If you can, aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night and keep a consistent bedtime. Visit the Sleep page for more info!

a female doctor showing information to a male patient

Schedule a health screening - Try to stay up to date with your doctor visits and get ahead of any problems.

a man with his eyes closed and head tilted back taking a breath

Practice deep breathing and relaxation - Breathing exercises can help calm your nervous system.

a group of 3 friends smiling together while sitting outside

Accept support from others - Chances are, there’s someone that's experienced whatever you're going through in life. You can also look for a local or virtual support if needed.

Try something creative - Do something you love or try something new! You can express your feelings in whatever you create and help relax your mind and boost your mood.

Start Small

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you work on taking care of yourself.

Start where you are: Focus on what works for you instead of the things that you think you should do. Build on what you know and what you like. There is no single path to your wellness.

Be flexible: Wellness looks different for everyone. It’s about finding the right mix of what you need, what you want, and what you’re capable of doing day to day. Your balancing act will change depending on what is going on in your life.

Focus on what you can control: You can choose what you react to. Understand and accept that things change, and focus on the choices you can make.

Remember what you do well: Think about and take note of your successes in life and how they made you feel.

Plan and Practice

Use these tips to help get your wellness into motion.

Set a plan for your day: When you’ve got a lot of things to do, make a list and pick one thing to do first. Set expectations with the people around you about what you can and can’t do. If you can, save time for something enjoyable and meaningful to you.

Make goals for yourself: Having goals helps you work toward something. Even completing small goals can make you feel good!

Make it a habit: Creating healthy habits allows us to be well without “thinking about it.” Habits let our brain focus on things that need more attention, like making decisions. They can even lead to positive feelings in our lives and relationships and increased energy levels. Habits aren’t easy to create and even harder to change. The best way to form healthy habits is by setting routines.

Prepare for challenges: Think about the things that usually stress you out. If you know a busy week or challenging moment is coming, try to set aside some extra time for yourself.

Identify What Matters to You

It can be helpful to pause and remember what's most important to you.

Find your purpose: Think about what gives your life meaning and what makes you feel proud. Having a "why" can give you the motivation to move forward.

Nurture your spirituality: Connecting with something bigger than yourself can help you feel supported and grounded in life. Use the spiritual tools that work for you.

Feel your emotions: Notice and give yourself time to sit with what you are feeling. Then take a step back and look at the big picture.

Look for the small wins: Before you go to bed, think of 3 things that went well today, even if they are small. This can help you look for the good things in your life tomorrow.

Pause and Reflect

Notice what you've been through and what it can teach you.

Reflect on your day: What did you appreciate today? Find something that made you smile or laugh. Remember how you felt in those moments and try to learn from them.

Use mistakes as a chance to learn: We can't keep bad things from happening, but we can improve our ability to handle and learn from them.

Recharge by disconnecting: Sometimes you just need to power down and have some time to yourself.

Focus on the next step: Think of how to move forward from a situation, instead of why it happened. Staying focused on the why can keep us stuck on what can’t be changed in the past. On the other hand, how is productive and leads to action and moving forward. If you’re having trouble taking the first step, ask yourself what you can do to make it better.

Practice Gratitude

Practicing gratitude is all about noticing and appreciating the good things in your life – big or small. When you take a second to think about what you’re thankful for, it can boost your mood, strengthen relationships and build a more positive outlook on the world around you.

Use gratitude as one of the tools to build your wellness. What are you grateful for today?

More Ways to Boost Your Wellness

There are many other ways to take care of yourself. Whether its through practicing mindfulness, or improving your sleep you can find your wellness, your way.

Practice Staying in the Moment

Use Your Breath

Improve Your Sleep

Impact Your Community