Undergoing emotional and mental health problems can affect your overall well-being. You may experience weight loss, isolation from people, and ever-changing mood swings, often resulting in losing jobs and significant relationships with family and friends. For such reasons, you must get help to have a sound mind, body, and soul. 

You need to get medical treatment and develop good practices to recover. However, treatment takes time and may not happen at once through therapy sessions. Thus, you can practice proven self-care habits to support your psychotherapy and counseling process. Here are some you can start doing:

1. Attend Therapy Sessions 

The first step to self-care is attending therapy sessions. Psychotherapists and counselors, like the ones found at https://wellbeingscounselling.ca/ and similar centers, have the relevant experience to assist you in recovering your mental and emotional health. They can help treat your depression, traumas, and anxiety through assessments and physical and online counseling. A treatment facility within your neighborhood is convenient because you can seamlessly commute from home. However, if there are none, you may want to take advantage of virtual therapy sessions.

The therapy session primarily covers abuse (physical and emotional), grief and loss, prenatal and postpartum, behavioral issues, children and divorce, marriage, and premarital counseling. Most of these life mishaps can completely alter your life and your ability to do daily activities. Hence, you must attend sessions regularly for the treatment to take effect.

2. Practice Meditation 

You can do meditation regularly to help refocus your thoughts, which helps coordinate your mind and body to boost your mental health. Through it, you also learn self-control, which can assist you in controlling your emotions, especially if you're always angry or anxious. You can also keep yourself in the moment and avoid thinking of all the painful memories you may have experienced from your trauma. 

3. Nourish Your Body

If you're experiencing depression, stress, or trauma, knowing when it's time to eat or drink water may be challenging due to loss of appetite. The result is usually poor nutrition, which leads to weight loss, fatigue, and tiredness. So, even as you receive counseling, consider eating healthy meals to keep your energy levels high. 

Your diet should consist of vegetables and fruits and a well-balanced combination of vitamins, proteins, and carbohydrates. Likewise, ensure you take enough water to stay hydrated at all times. This way, you'll always be physically strong as you get better.  

4. Exercise Regularly 

Physical activity helps relax your muscles and enables you to get rid of negative thoughts that may affect your mental health. It also helps release happy hormones like dopamine, which allows you to stay positive. You can get to the gym and do light exercises like running on the treadmill. You may also do at-home activities such as walking and yoga. Maintaining a consistent exercise routine will also help with reducing anxiety and depression.

5. Get Quality Sleep

Getting enough sleep of about seven to eight hours is another aspect of self-care. It can benefit you in the following ways:

• It gives your mind ample time to thoroughly process everything in your life.

• Adequate rest lets you wake up with a clear mind, ready to tackle new challenges soberly.

• It's good for your physical health.

• It helps with preventing depression and decreases your chance of getting illnesses such as heart disease.

  6. Make Time For Fun Activities 

Pleasurable activities help avoid the possibility of depression. You can try new hobbies like skiing, swimming, crocheting, fishing, and dancing. Staying occupied with practical activities minimizes boredom, ensuring your thoughts don't slip into the negative realms. 

Alternatively, you may venture into playing mind-challenging games like chess, puzzles, crosswords, and memory games, which require a lot of thinking and focus. They're good for keeping your mind active. 

7. Avoid Toxicity 

Without boundaries, most people will often take advantage of you and put you down. You may often feel resentment, anger, and stress, which isn't good for your mental and emotional well-being. Part of self-care necessitates you must create healthy boundaries in your life. It can help boost your self-esteem, get a clear picture of who you are and what you want in life, and learn to be independent. 

Emotional distress can highly impede your recovery process. So, only surround yourself with those willing to help you in your recovery journey. By doing this, you'll significantly avoid feeling depressed at all times. You can also recover your mental, physical, and emotional health quickly. So, be around supportive friends and family who push you toward becoming the best version of yourself.

8. Keep A Journal 

Journaling is one way to express your emotional feelings and experiences in writing instead of bottling them up. If you feel angry or anxious, you can write your thoughts at the moment, and you'll start feeling relaxed. Writing is also a great way to commit to achieving specific goals. You'll see the milestones you've achieved and be happy with yourself. 

Conclusion 

Psychotherapy and counseling are excellent ways to regain your emotional, mental, and physical health. However, treatment without positive habits may not work effectively because you risk returning to your old behaviors. Therefore, you must know and practice self-care habits to support your therapy sessions. Over time, even if your sessions are complete, you'll still have healthy patterns you can continue doing.