After an extensive and taxing marathon, fatigued runners slow their pace and bring themselves to a relaxed state before starting again. When a car tire goes flat, the old one is replaced, the car is checked and care for, and the driver develops a plan to avoid the mishap in the future. Moments following an anxiety attack, the exhausted sufferer gives themselves time to recollect and catch the breathe. It would be preposterous to run after finishing a 26.2 mile lap, just like it would be to drive a car with a flat tire or to act as though nothing has happened after a panic attack; however, the stigma surrounding mental health, and the tasks needed to keep it healthy and active, has overlooked the middle ground between mental illness and a completely sound mind, the middle ground that most people find themselves in. They expect those with anxiety to continue on with their day after having an experience similar to death, they expect the runner to keep going, the car to keep driving.

Why does our society place so much shame on self-care when it comes to doing it for the sake of doing it? The answer is as simple as it is complex: a balanced mental health is not as concerning as physical health, due to the sheer ignorance of it. Although the respect for those suffering is growing, there is an attachment that those who only need help are those whose lives are at risk. Mental health is viewed as black and white: well or sick. There is no in between like there is for our physical well-being. We need to give our minds rest and a chance to recover after a long, grueling day. Self-care techniques keep our minds from getting overloaded and overwhelmed, and quick and agile. A simple way to take care of one's self is to take a break from one's world and responsibilities, and fill out a cross word puzzle or read a few articles on Odyssey Online. Taking your mind off a something that is causing your body ware gives yourself a minute to leave the problem and refocus, just like a football team does when they call a time out to talk about game play. Practicing self-care can also aid in alleviating anxiety over preforming a task right there and then, and prevent a mind burnout with the breaks it provides. Self-care gives us the moment to relax and escape our reality, while not being in denial. Things as minute as making the bed, smelling a candle, or taking a shower, are the equivalent to resting after standing for a long period of time and drinking a cup of water.

It is suspected that once someone takes a single step to bettering their mind, they are automatically good and do not need to revisit the care again. To put into perspective, imagine drinking one cup of water. One single cup. Even if you are already in shape, does drinking that one cup ensure your health? No, a person needs to continually drink enough fluids, consume enough nutrients, and get enough rest. When it comes to mental health, self-care is no different. To be mentally well, a person needs to continually do things to increase its well being. Instead of drinking enough liquids, our self-esteems need to be lifted from time to time with some positive words of encouragement; instead of consuming enough nutrients, we need to give our intellect the chance to learn new things; and instead of getting enough rest, our brains need to take a break from everything that is happening around it, and rest. Daily self-care gives us the chance to just take care of our bodies and minds that are working so hard each day. Self-care is something that needs to be revisited each day to be effective. One act won't cause a revolution, rather a series of repeated events.

Before you call someone vain for taking a little longer to get ready for a party, or a person lazy for taking a break from their tasks to breathe, think about the importance of taking care of your body. Neglecting your mind and the many things and concepts that go with it, is just as harmful as neglecting your body.