Episode 98: Rethinking Self-Care — Beyond the Bubble Baths

In today's episode of The Curious Therapist Show, we discuss 3 types of self-care…

We hear about self-care everywhere — in books, on social media, in conversations with friends. And while it’s such an important part of supporting our mental health, I’ve been reflecting lately on how the mental health space and our hyper individualistic culture has most of our self-care...well...super self-focused.

We’ve got:

• Comfy (restorative) self-care: the things that feel warm and nourishing in the moment (bubble baths, memes, a cuppa in the sun).
• Uncomfy or “boring” (growth oriented) self-care: the things we don’t feel like doing but know help us in the long run (going for that walk, setting a boundary, having the awkward conversation).

But lately, I’ve been thinking about a third type too— self-care that gets us outside of ourselves.
Not just tending to our needs, but turning our focus outward — toward helping others and strengthening our community.

It doesn’t have to be big or time-consuming:

• Checking in on a neighbour who lives alone
• Writing a kind review for a small business you love
• Cooking an extra serve of dinner to drop off for a friend
• Donating blood
• Volunteering an hour at a local event or community garden

Why does this matter? Research shows that volunteering and helping others can reduce stress, combat depression, and even lead to a longer life. It’s good for the people we help — and it’s surprisingly good for us, too.

So, I’d love to hear from you…

• What does comfy self-care look like for you?
• What’s your uncomfy/boring self-care?
• And what’s one way you could try community self-care in the next week or two?

To connect with Vanessa:

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Find Vanessa on Instagram: Vanessa Preston (@vanessa_preston_) • Instagram photos and videos

Check out Vanessa’s website to find a freebie and all about her intuitive eating and body image programs: Vanessa Preston (podia.com)

Or her practice website: Green life Psychology - Green Life Psychology

Disclaimer:
This podcast represents the opinions of Vanessa Preston and her guests to the show. Vanessa is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and abides by ethics of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). The content here should not be taken as medical or therapeutic advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional.