Mental Health Awareness

Why do I need to practice self-care regularly?

Experts on mental health have long emphasized the importance of self-care as a way of coping with stress and anxiety:

• Calm.com. (n.d.). What is self-care, and why is it important for your health? Mental health. https://blog.calm.com/blog/why-is-self-care-important
• CDC. (2023, May 26). How right now. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/howrightnow/index.html
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Maine. (2025, February 3). Self-care for mental health: A guide to prioritizing yourself. https://namimaine.org/self-care-for-mental-health-a-guide-to-prioritizing-yourself/
• National Council for Mental Wellbeing (2025, February 17). Ten ways to practice self-care as an act of kindness. https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/2025/02/self-care-as-kindness/
• National Council on Aging (2024, May 19). What is self-care and why is it important? https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/online-therapy/self-care/
• Roberge, C., Meunier, S., & Cleary, J. (2024). In action at work! Mental health self-management strategies for employees experiencing anxiety or depressive symptoms. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue Canadienne Des Sciences Du Comportement, 56(1), 10–19. https://doi.org/10.1037/cbs0000346

What does overcommitment mean?

• “to allocate (resources) in excess of the capacity for replenishment” (Merriam-Webster)
• “to commit more than is feasible, desirable, or necessary” (dictionary.com)
• “to bind or obligate (oneself, for example) beyond the capacity for realization” (thefreedictionary.com)