When I think of self-care, I think of making myself comfortable. I also think of the things I do to make my anxiety go away. There are some days where I feel like I can’t get out of bed. Putting myself in a clean and comfortable place where I can remove myself from my problems. I love to go to my room, when it’s clean, and put on a movie, put on a face mask, and chill out by myself. Sometimes, being alone and comforting yourself is the best way to overcome anything through. Here is a compilation of images and words that I believe embody the importance of self-care. 
I chose this photo because there are many aspects of self-care that we need to consider. Many might think of self-care as only taking care of your physical well-being. That is, however, not the case for me. I know from a lifetime of living with anxiety that there are many things we need to work on when caring for ourselves.
This picture was chosen because sometimes we just need a cliché picture to get us going. Most of the time I hate seeing pictures like these all over social media, but when I need it the most, they always help me out in a time of darkness. This one in particular has gotten me through a hard time this semester. I was not taking care of myself as I should have been and I was on a downward spiral. I saw this on facebook and it really brought be back to reality. Sometimes I will look at this and remind myself of that dark time and how much I’ve improved since then.
Mental health has this terrible stigma that follows it everywhere it goes. When most people think of mental health, they think of people who can’t control themselves or may even have to be institutionalized. Media plays a big role in how we view mental health in the world. We see movie and shows that negatively depict individuals with mental health issues and it needs to change. Mental health is not something that people should be ashamed of. We need to talk about it!
This link brings you to a website about mental health and all its glory. It offers education, tips, and places that offer help if needed. There have been a few times where I have either had to call a hotline or give information to someone else. This website offers chatrooms, articles, and everything under the sun about living with mental health. There are many other websites like this one as well! Don’t be afraid to do research!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWRsgZuwf_8
Music is something that always helped when I’m feeling down. When I was younger, I was dealing with some anxiety issues and I didn’t know how to deal with it. I felt so alone and I just knew that I was the only one in the world dealing with this. I heard this song and it really changed my mood. I didn’t feel alone anymore. I knew that there were others out there who felt what I felt. Imagine Dragons has, since then, become one of my favorite bands.
Self-care and anxiety are two topics I’m very passionate about. It effects my everyday life and I have come to realize that it is okay to talk about it. There are many outlets, pictures, songs, and everything under the sun that not only represents, but offers guidance and support to those who need it. Media has a big influence in how we view self-care and mental health as well. The pictures and links that I provided here are just a few of the examples of mental health and self-care that we see on the internet. Keep digging around and see what you find. Research is the best thing you can do, because you’re not alone.
Magnolia skies 