Tips for Mental Health Professionals to Prioritize Self-Care

Do you find yourself burning the candle at both ends, always putting your clients’ needs before your own? It’s a common struggle.

That’s why self-care isn’t a luxury for therapists—it’s a necessity. You need to recharge our own batteries to continue providing effective care and avoid burnout. And just like you encourage clients to prioritize their well-being, you deserve to stay happy, healthy, and thriving too.

So, how can you practice self-care in a stressful world?

Back to basics

Remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? As Maslow described, there is an ascending order of security required to fulfill our needs. We must ensure the stability of each foundation before we progress. At times of great stress, it helps to focus on the footings.

Start with the essentials:

• Eat nourishing foods for your body and mind
• Stay hydrated, drink water
• Take time to rest
• Enjoy fresh air
• Spend time in nature
• Exercise regularly
• Prioritize good sleep
• Don’t underestimate the power of physical touch and intimacy; they are an essential part of the human experience

Seek professional support

Even therapists need someone to lean on. Whether it’s for supervision, therapy, or simply debriefing, having a professional support system is crucial. It helps maintain your own emotional and mental well-being.

You deserve the care, comfort, and expertise that you provide to others. As you know, this can quell stress, alter perception and improve quality of life. The effects are manifold; you will be more present, conscious, calm, and effective in your home, work, and personal life.

Schedule time to unwind

Are you constantly on the go?

Often, we get caught up in the ‘doing’ and forget that we are each, in fact, a human being. It’s the being that brings us into the body and into our lives – which is why it is crucial to schedule downtime into your routine.

Here are some relaxing options:

• Yoga
• Mindful breathing
• Reading a good book
• Take a relaxing bath
• Enjoy a cup of herbal tea
• Take a nap when you need it
• Acupressure, massage or reflexology
• Stretching
• Spend time in nature – walking through a garden, along the beach, into a forest
• Journalling
• Engage in your favorite hobby – such as dancing, painting, or singing

Practice self-compassion

You’re compassionate toward others—now turn that kindness inward! Be gentle with yourself, especially during challenging times. Acknowledge your limitations and celebrate your strengths.

Self-compassion not only benefits you but also sets a positive example for your clients.

Maintain a structured schedule

Setting a schedule helps you plan your days and maintain balance between your work and personal life. This can help reduce stress and improve productivity while at work.

In practice:

• Set appointments and stick to them
• Use scheduling tools to organize your day
• Allocate time for work, self-care, and personal life
• Prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency
• Use handouts or PDFs to provide the valuable information that you often repeat
• Streamline and automate your workflow to save time and energy

For example, posting on social media is essential for building rapport and promoting practice growth. Our social tool, Social Genie, improves productivity and outcomes while reducing time and cost.

At home:

Determine the usual time required for tasks. With this in mind, set a schedule you can stick to in an order that makes sense for you. While this may seem like overkill, you will regain much-needed time and sanity by increasing efficiency.

Consider how long it takes to:

• Shower
• Dress and prepare for the day
• Eat
• Drop the kids off at school
• Create delicious meals
• Clean
• Write
• Exercise
• Sleep

Take note of your daily routine; brainstorm. Now, set a schedule and give it a whirl. What works and what doesn’t? What’s important to you and what isn’t? Ask yourself, “what could I offload or do in a more efficient way?” Keep adjusting until you find the best fit for you.

The takeaway

Remember, as a mental health professional, practicing self-care isn’t just about personal well-being—it’s a professional responsibility. By prioritizing your own health and happiness, you’re better equipped to support others on their healing journey.

So, whether it’s reconnecting with the basics, seeking support, unwinding regularly, showing yourself compassion, or maintaining a structured routine, make self-care a non-negotiable part of your life. Because you matter, and your work matters too.

Want the beautiful therapist website you deserve? Then you’re in the perfect place.

Brighter Vision is the ultimate marketing package for therapists, centered around the best therapist website you’ve ever had. Fill out the form below to learn more about our team of professionals who can’t wait to help your practice grow like never before 🙂

About Lucy Volway

Lucy is a Marketing Specialist at Brighter Vision! When she's not creating and sharing content for our network of therapists, she loves to read, travel, and spend time with her cat, Princess Meatball.