Doc Wayne Shares Tips on Mental Health & Self-Care

August 20, 2021 

Taking steps to prevent and/or address mental health challenges is imperative and can benefit all aspects of one’s life. Today, Stay in the Game Network Member Doc Wayne is sharing some tips that can help us take care of our mental health and wellbeing.

Doc Wayne is a non-profit that fuses sport and therapy to heal and strengthen at-risk youth, helping them cope with emotional challenges and traumatic events while learning important life skills. However, the fundamental tips and techniques below can are appropriate for anyone to manage challenging times both on and off the field.

• A key strategy is recognizing that life is not easy and giving yourself permission to feel this and the self-compassion to not judge yourself.
• Personalization of self-care is vital; what might be relaxing and therapeutic for you may be stressful for another. 
• Build a team around you to help with self-care. Your “team” may consist of anyone who supports your holistic wellbeing.
• Most of us are hard on ourselves. Practice positive self-talk that consists of positive thoughts or words that make you feel good about yourself. For example, rather than thinking “I’ve never done it before,” you might reframe your thought process to “It’s an opportunity to learn something new.”
• Some examples of self-care include cooking, creating art, exercise, meditation, praying, progressive muscle relaxation, playing with a pet, listening to music or watching a movie.
• It’s never too late to start using de-stressors and self-care, but self-care is most effective if you practice it consistently rather than in moments of high stress.
• Celebrate your self-care accomplishments with your support team. Look for the small “wins,” which can be the days you felt on top of the world, as well as the low moments when you used a self-care strategy to make the day a little more manageable.
   

Rebekah Roulier, LMHC is the deputy director of Doc Wayne Youth Services in Boston.