Tips for self-care
Practices for building positive mental health:
- Spending time with loved ones
- Getting sufficient sleep, nutrition, and hydration
- Moving your body (going for a walk, yoga, playing sports, etc.)
- Volunteering or giving back
- Spending time outdoors in green space
- Finding a sense of community (faith-based, cultural-based, clubs, teams, etc.)
Coping strategies for tough times:
- Box breathing is a quick exercise you can use to clear your mind and regain control:
- Inhale for four seconds
- Hold your breath for four seconds
- Exhale for four seconds
- Hold your breath out for four seconds
- Journaling
- Mindfulness or meditation
- Taking a shower
- Being active
- Watching a favorite tv show or listening to a favorite song
Source: Mental Health Collaborative
Additional supports
Knowing how to practice self-care and cope during more challenging times are essential skills. But sometimes the weight of what we're carrying is too much to handle on our own. Things like insecurity around basic needs (food, housing, healthcare, etc.) or a lack of safety and stability make it harder to maintain positive mental health and self-care may not be enough to help. When times are particularly hard, or if self-care just isn't working for you, additional support is available.
Behavioral Health Help Line
The free, 24/7 Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL) connects individuals and families to the full range of treatment services for mental health and substance use offered in Massachusetts, including outpatient, urgent, and immediate crisis care.
Urgent Care and Community Behavioral Health Centers
Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC) Centers and Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) offer a wide range of specialized services for when it’s not an emergency, but you can’t wait for help.
Substance Use Help Line
Whether you are ready for treatment, worried about a loved one, or simply want to know what your options are, the Massachusetts Substance Use Help Line can help you take that first step.
View additional resources in Massachusetts. If there is an emergency, call 988.