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It is normal to experience hardships in life, and we sometimes let these hardships get us down. Luckily, there are many aspects of our lives that are within our control. We truly can help ourselves. In this article, we'll go over what self-help is and how to implement it in your life.
What Is Self-Help?
Self-help is the collection of publicly available information that focuses on helping people overcome psychological problems (Gluck, 2021). Self-help tools can often deepen self-awareness, help you cope with life in healthier ways, and improve your emotional and mental health. Self-help also offers advice and strategies to better understand how your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours contribute to your mental health and well-being.
Self-help is a broad term with many facets such as:
- Hygiene
- Nutrition
- Exercise level
- Living conditions and social habits
- Emotional well-being
- Social and relationship well-being
- Career, success, and personal goals
Some good examples of practicing good self-help include:
- Exercising regularly
- Eating a healthy diet
- Maintaining and fostering healthy relationships
- Making sure to get good-quality sleep
- Following treatment plans and taking your medication as your doctor prescribed
- Developing good communication skills
- Practicing healthy emotion regulation
- Seeking professional mental-health support if you need it
Self-help is best suited to those who wish to make small changes to improve their lives—for example, small changes like improving relationships, learning to regulate emotions, or gaining clarity on goals. More severe or challenging mental health issues usually require the support of a mental health counsellor or therapist.
The Self-Help Movement
The self-help movement is based on the philosophy that individuals with common problems come together to work through and understand their situations (Vattano, 1972). The movement began with the establishment of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in 1935—a program used to treat alcoholism. Other groups appeared in the 1960s and 1970s. At this time, the focus shifted to small-group efforts where individuals worked together in more intimate, immediate environments to help with their specific problems.
In the mid-’70s, self-help books started to emerge. These books increased awareness of self-help. This awareness then began increasing not just in the USA but also in Western Europe and Japan.
In the 1990s, online self-help began to emerge. Self-help groups and informational websites proliferated in the years that followed.
Tips
Making a self-help plan depends on your goals for your health and lifestyle. Here are some tips to help you achieve common self-help goals:
- Determine your starting point. Before you can make a plan, it might help to know where you're starting from. Once you know this, you can begin to add beneficial self-help strategies to your schedule.
- Identify the stressors. You may find it helpful to list all the things that cause stress in your life. With this list, you can then plan to begin cutting out some stressors.
- Identify and strengthen your coping skills. Everyone copes with stress in their own way. Make a list of ways you deal with stress and then see if you can determine which are healthy and which are not. It may be helpful to swap out unhealthy strategies for more beneficial coping mechanisms.
Here are some self-help skills that encourage long-lasting positive effects:
- Stretching and moving your body
- Changing your environment
- Taking a warm bath or shower
- Looking at soothing imagery
- Listening to soft music
- Smelling soothing scents
- Engaging in self-compassion
In Sum
Self-help is adopting helpful self-soothing techniques and a better understanding of your mental and physical health. And remember, taking care of yourself isn't selfish. You are allowed to make your well-being a priority.
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References
- Gluck, S. (2021, December 15). What is Self-Help for Mental Health? HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2022, September 16.
- Vattano, A. J. (1972). Power to the people: self-help groups. Social Work 17, 7-15.
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