The core of self-care is understanding that caring for yourself is something that is not a “nice to do” or an occasional treat you give yourself. Rather, it is a necessary part of life in order to maintain your health in the often-stressful day-to-day environments that we work in. Working in mental health care can be both extremely rewarding and also challenging as it can involve witnessing another person’s suffering while also gaining an in-depth knowledge of many of the social injustices on a systemic level, and opening our eyes to many social issues that we might not have previously been aware of.

Figuring out how to cope with such individual and systems-level complexities can sometimes feel like a steep uphill climb. It can also be a really individual journey to figure out what self-care looks like for you – what works to soothe and rejuvenate one person may not be as helpful for someone else! This is why learning about self-care and what it means for you is just as important on our learning journeys as the more practical and theoretical pieces we often focus on as students. Part of self-care is also recognizing signs that you may be feeling worn down or burnt out. There are MANY resources available about burnout within helping professions – we’ll include a list below of some common signs that people are feeling burnt out. Again, though, it’s important to recognize this is different for everyone and the most important thing is taking time to get to know YOUR signs, and knowing who to reach out to if you need additional support. If you find you are feeling worn down and your mental health is struggling, you may benefit from and need support that goes beyond routine “self-care” practices. In these situations, it is important to seek support through people like your local health care provider such as a family doctor or nurse, a crisis line (Canada Crisis Line:1-833-456-4566), or your local hospital.