Every year on 24 July, International Self-Care Day highlights the importance of caring for our physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing. The day is an opportunity to reflect on how we support ourselves and recognise that self-care is an essential part of a healthy life. Within Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), self-care is more than taking time to relax or do something enjoyable. It involves learning skills that help us manage emotions, cope with challenges and build a life worth living.
DBT self-care strategies for International Self-Care Day provide practical ways to strengthen wellbeing. They encourage us to develop awareness, practise acceptance and make choices that support our goals. DBT teaches us that self-care is not something we only need when life feels difficult. It is a regular practice that helps us build resilience and prepare for challenges.
Understanding self-care through a DBT approach
DBT is based on the balance of acceptance and change. This means accepting our experiences while also recognising that we can learn new skills and make meaningful changes.
Self-care often involves both sides of this balance. Sometimes we need to acknowledge that we are struggling and respond with kindness. At other times, we may need to take action, practise a skill or make a different choice. Rather than avoiding difficult emotions, DBT helps us develop the ability to experience emotions without being controlled by them. This can help us respond more effectively and move towards the life we want.
Mindfulness: connecting with the present moment
Mindfulness is one of the core skills areas in DBT. It involves paying attention to the present moment with curiosity and without judgement.
During International Self-Care Day on 24 July, mindfulness can be a simple way to reconnect with ourselves. It might involve noticing our breathing, observing our thoughts or paying attention to what is happening around us.
Regular mindfulness practice can help us become more aware of our experiences. It creates space between an emotion and our response. This allows us to make choices that better support our wellbeing.
Emotion regulation as a self-care skill
Emotions are a natural part of life. They give us information about our needs, experiences and relationships. However, strong emotions can sometimes feel overwhelming. One of the important DBT self-care strategies for International Self-Care Day is developing emotion regulation skills. These skills help us understand emotions and respond to them in helpful ways.
Emotion regulation may include checking the facts, caring for our physical health, creating supportive routines and engaging in activities that improve our wellbeing. The aim is not to remove difficult emotions. Instead, DBT helps us build confidence in our ability to experience emotions and choose how we respond.
Distress tolerance: caring for ourselves during difficult times
Self-care is especially important when we face stressful or painful situations. DBT’s distress tolerance skills help us manage difficult moments without making them harder. These skills may include grounding techniques, self-soothing activities, distraction strategies and mindfulness practices. They can help us create space when emotions feel intense.
Distress tolerance reminds us that difficult moments are temporary. With practice, we can learn that we are able to cope with challenges and move through them.
Self-compassion and building a life worth living
A key goal of DBT is creating a life worth living. This means building a life that includes meaningful relationships, personal goals and experiences that matter to us.Self-compassion plays an important role in this process. Many people find self-care difficult because they believe they must put others first or achieve more before looking after themselves.
DBT encourages us to recognise our own needs and treat ourselves with understanding. Caring for ourselves helps us take part more fully in our lives and relationships.
On International Self-Care Day 24 July, consider asking yourself: “What do I need today to support my wellbeing?” The answer might be practising a DBT skill, setting a boundary, resting, connecting with someone or simply acknowledging how you feel.
Making self-care part of everyday life
Self-care does not have to involve major changes. Small actions, practised consistently, can make a meaningful difference. A few minutes of mindfulness, checking in with emotions or using a distress tolerance skill can all support wellbeing. Over time, these practices can strengthen resilience and self-awareness.
This International Self-Care Day, DBT reminds us that self-care is a skill we can develop. It is about acceptance, compassion and making choices that move us towards a life worth living. By practising DBT self-care strategies for International Self-Care Day, we can continue building the skills needed to care for ourselves, manage challenges and create meaningful change.
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Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
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