Self-care and self-soothing... Is there a big difference between these two? Let’s take a look.
Self-care is the practice where actions are taken to manage one's own well-being by supporting their physical, psychological, social, or spiritual needs. Orlando counseling aims to help clients learn when to use both.

An example of self-care is getting a massage to alleviate stress or tightness stored in the body, or journaling to process an event or emotions.

Self-soothing is a component of self-care that allows the individual to manage stress by engaging in behavior by their senses. By using our senses, we can decrease the intensity of negative emotions. An example: taking a hot or cold shower or using aromatherapy.

Self-Care

Both practices require the person to take care of themselves in different means. Self-care is something that often seems to be overlooked due to the natural hustle and bustle of everyday life. Even though we may find ourselves distracted or too busy to engage in this specific practice, it is critical for us to have some kind of outlet. These outlets help us take care of ourselves to effectively learn personal boundaries and maintain a status of overall well-being.

Self-Soothing

Self-soothing techniques seem to be geared more toward “in the moment” situations. Many times we also forget to use these too when we are experiencing any emotional turmoil because it is very easy for us to give in to the feeling instead of taking a step back
and regroup before the emotions get the best of us.

The following list are ways that we can engage in self-care to help us improve our day-to-day lives:

Self-care ideas:

• Read a book you enjoy
• Get a massage
• Set boundaries for yourself and others
• Physical activity
• Spending quality time with others
• Meditation
• Stretching
• Drinking water

Self-soothing techniques:

• Point out the colors you see
• Touch something soft
• Listen to nature sounds
• Aromatherapy
• Diaphragmatic breathing
• Warm drinks
• Listening to peaceful music
• Low lighting

Positive self-care and self-soothing techniques help us enhance our personal awareness. When we find ourselves being triggered it is easy to reference back to our toolbox in turn helping us foster a stronger body and mind connection. If you or someone you know is struggling with their self-care or self-soothing routines, reach out to a professional Orlando counselor today.