Self-Love and The Importance to Your Mental Health

 by Brian Warriner

            Self-love is the act of accepting your whole self, treating yourself with respect and kindness, and prioritizing your health. You maintain a positive outlook on yourself (Martin, 2023). I know that the number of people who show themselves self-love is low. Because we all put ourselves last, our outlook is negative, and we think of others before ourselves. I am guilty of this. When you care for your parents or anyone else, it is not easy; we tend to forget ourselves, and even as parents, it is all about the children. We tend to make our priorities dependent on others. If the children are happy, I am happy, or a happy wife, a happy life. We make everything dependent on other things and other people.

            I know I have taken care of my parents and stayed up late to get ahead on my schoolwork when I should have been sleeping. Get up and do everything all over again. When I can, I would take a break because I have learned you can do everything you have planned and still give yourself a break. You are doing the best that you can. For example, when I am doing schoolwork, I finish one assignment, check on my parents to see if there is anything they need, do the dishes, do the laundry, and take out the trash and recycle. Then I go back to my schoolwork. Granted, at the end of the night, I am exhausted, and lying in bed is all it takes to go to sleep.

            However, I noticed something important missing from my life: self-love and self-care. I discussed self-care in a previous post. When I do add some self-love to my life, I find myself feeling better. Because when we are wrapped up in this world and our activities, we forget that we matter too. If you feel like this, there are some things you can do to fix it. You can cultivate self-love by being compassionate toward yourself, setting boundaries, practicing self-care, celebrating your achievements, using positive self-talk, practicing self-acceptance, seeking support, and embracing self-discovery (Martin, 2023).

            It is not easy sometimes when we have this negative mindset and perspective. However, it is important to combat that kind of negativity. When you show self-love, it has been shown to lower stress, increase your resilience, and make you more willing to take risks, show compassion, and feel self-efficacy. Saying no is saying yes to yourself (Tetreault, 2025). Let us face it, who is not guilty of always saying yes to others and being exhausted and having no energy for what you need, and being able to say no to others’ requests for your time by saying no.

            Science has shown that self-love is rooted in neuroscience. Self-love reshapes your brain's function, especially in the limbic system, the brain's emotional center. This is where your emotions are more regulated. Self-love strengthens your self-awareness, which takes place in the prefrontal cortex. Also, this is where your decision-making, emotional balance, and calming the amygdala. With that, it will reduce fear and anxiety. Self-love triggers the release of the feel-good hormone dopamine (Tetreault, 2025). It makes you feel good and warm. The same hormone is released when you hug or cuddle for about twenty seconds.

            When you want to change your behavior, no matter what the pattern in your brain, it takes about 66 days, which is over two months. You need to give yourself a space to change because you will make mistakes, and it takes nurturing new patterns with acceptance and compassion (Tetreault, 2025). I know we have all tried to break old habits and form new ones, but we keep failing when we try to change. The idea comes to mind when it comes to dieting and exercise. It takes consistency to build a new habit. It took time for me to adjust to the fact that I am a type two diabetic. I have to check my blood sugar twice a day. I was trying to watch what I ate and drank. I had to give up my favorite things. It took time to develop the right way to test my blood sugar. Then, when I started to see my endocrinologist. I realized I was doing it wrong and had to relearn how to check my blood sugar. To this day, I still mess up, and I keep starting over.

            However, there are practices we can use to support our self-love journey. These activities can help you become a better version of yourself. I cannot stress enough how important self-love is to our mental health because it places us at the center of the issues. You can let go of the judgmental mind, celebrate your uniqueness, do things that light you up, feel your emotions and move on, allow compassion, take in the good, unpack your fears, and increase your intuition and self-trust (Tetreault, 2025). I had to face my fears, both my parents at two different times, where I could have lost them, and I experienced the possibility of losing them. My mom had cancer, and my dad had sepsis and acute kidney failure. We almost lost my dad; the experience of this was traumatic and stressful. Since then, I realized that once we made it through those experiences. I realize that losing my parents will be hard, difficult, and traumatic for me. However, we will make it through it because it is a part of life, and we all will pass away sooner or later. From these experiences, I learned to unpack my fears and face them head-on.

            At the root of the struggle is having to get things right, being perfect. Perfectionism is the habit of beating yourself up over anything that chips away at your sense of self-worth (Sandoiu, 2018). It is this constant action that can leave you less happy, distraught, and feeling unworthy and unable to do anything right. This can cause your mental health and self-esteem to decline. To combat perfectionism, try self-compassion. This is where you show yourself kindness, you recognize your achievements and the place you share in humanity and mindfulness (Sandoiu, 2018).

The Benefits of Self-Love

            When you begin to show yourself the self-love you deserve, you will notice improvements in your mental health, greater self-acceptance, higher self-esteem, greater motivation, stronger determination, increased self-awareness, less anxiety, and improved sleep (Asghar, 2022). How can you show yourself self-love? By avoiding negative self-talk, including derogatory humor, creating personal rituals, setting healthy boundaries, being compassionate towards yourself, and making space for self-reflection (Asghar, 2022). I would even include journaling as a practice of self-love, because it creates space for reflection, personal rituals, and healthy boundaries. It is a practice of learning to listen to yourself, relearning pleasure, doing something that you have never done before, and building yourself up, like yoga, creative endeavors, and being consistent with developing a new skill.

            In conclusion, the world is already hell, why do we want to add to it by making our own lives filled with unloving and misery. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta often spoke of this world's lack of love. When you do acts of love, do small acts with great love. She was right, and it is the words I try to live by, especially when I need to show myself a little self-love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Martin, S. The Power of Self-Love. (2023). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/conquering-codependency/202306/the-power-of-self-love?msockid=3c615a7a3ec3684126f04bdc3fda69d9

Tetreault, N. (2025, February 26). The Practice of Self-Love: A Gift to Your Mind and Soul. (2025). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wire-your-mind-for-love/202502/the-practice-of-self-love-a-gift-to-your-mind-and-soul?msockid=3c615a7a3ec3684126f04bdc3fda69d9

‌Sandoiu, A. (2018, March 23). The importance of self-love and how to cultivate it. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321309

‌Asghar, A. (2022, February 14). The science of self-love: The evidence-based benefits of loving yourself. Ness Labs. https://nesslabs.com/self-love

Energy Healing Therapies and How They Enhance Mental Health Treatment

 by Brian Warriner

            Energy healing, or energy work, is something I am passionate about. I have learned everything that I possibly can on the subject. From modalities, the aura, chakras, and when they are out of balance, aligned, and how to bring about health. I have advocated for energy work or holistic medicine to be used alongside Western medicine because I have seen how it works, not just through my studies, but in the workings of people like Donna Eden, the founder of Eden Energy Medicine. At a young age, Donna, a mother of two young girls, had Multiple Sclerosis, a heart attack, and was told by her western doctors that she had to find someone to raise her daughters because there was nothing more for them to do; she was going to die. She studied Chinese medicine and meridians, and, through her ability to see energy, she healed herself of her medical issues. While she was practicing energy medicine, a group of doctors sued her, claiming she was stealing money from them. Their patients would come to see her, and she would help them heal themselves. A judge ordered that if the doctors could bring forward one patient she hurt, they would hear the case. The doctors could not find one patient, and their case was dismissed. Since then, most of those doctors sent patients to her. She has since switched from seeing clients to teaching her Eden Energy Medicine and certification course and writing books.

            I noticed that when people say they had pain, they would do the laying on of hands. I would cringe because all they were doing was pushing the pain deeper. I would show them you have to remove the blockage, the pain, and then restore energy flow. I started to understand what a disease is: it is a dis-ease in the body's flow of energy. I noticed that when you are stationary for too long, you fall asleep. Or if you keep thinking or worrying about something, it will happen. That is because we forget that the mind is both healer and killer. In Dolores Cannon's work, we can think ourselves into illness and disease. Which is true, because how many of us have said things like I can’t stomach life or my heart is not in it and end up with stomach issues or heart issues. It is because we spoke ourselves into these issues.

            When it comes to mental healthcare, I am joining a group of people who are taking a holistic approach to mental healthcare by bridging the gap between holistic health and Western health. I believe sometimes mental health needs medication to help the person become stabilized, to be able to focus on the treatment, such as journaling, meditation, working out, and being in therapy. Taking a medication(s), is a way of turning down the volume so that a person can learn, develop and train in the tools that they need to help them when they have a mental health episode. Being monitored by a psychologist or psychiatrist, who can legally prescribe medication, takes a team to monitor a client. Everything needs to be documented. When it comes to mental healthcare, I feel that you have the doctor monitoring the medication part, and a therapist whom you are speaking to. That person is using the holistic approach to assist you and getting you to journal, using art therapy, working out, nutrition, or other means of helping you develop the skills needed for neutralizing your mental health disorders, also getting you okay with speaking about your battles and struggles. In doing so, we break the stigma of mental health. Speaking about it and sharing our stories is how we change the dialogue around the subject.

            Energy healing can help in your mental health journey. When I started to see a new healer, she is a licensed practical counselor, shamanic practitioner, and creative arts therapist. During our sessions, we would talk and set the road map for the work we were about to do. Then came the energy healing work, where I would lie on the table and get comfortable. She would do the energy work. I would feel the energy shifting, moving, being removed, or placed. I would see the helping spirits and the ancestors who would be in the room. I was a client for a while until I couldn’t afford to go anymore. I loved it because I would be doing the work, and the energy healing part helped boost me. My mood shifted, and I was able to stand in my power and walk this world with confidence. I hope that in 2026, I can start having regular energy work done again. I have shared my experience with energy work and my work as a healer in previous blogs, and I will continue to do so.

            Not only do I wish to have regular energy sessions, but I also want to learn more about Reiki. I am a Reiki Master Teacher, but it is always good to get a refresher course. I would love to learn new modalities and practice them. It is my dream to open my own holistic wellness business focused on mental healthcare and to take a holistic health approach to treatment. I will be posting about this journey.

            If you are interested in my healing journey, I recommend purchasing a copy of my book, With the Hands of a Healer. You can scan the QR codes below to purchase. Available in paperback, hardback, and eBook.

 Use this code for the Paperback Version.

Use this code for the Hardback version

Use this code for the eBook version

Mental Health and the Connection to Massage Therapy

 by Brian Warriner

             Massage therapy was one of my careers, and I enjoyed it when I first started. It was after I was laid off from my job in public education. I needed to do something with my life. One night, I asked out loud What am I to do with my life? What is my purpose to be? A few nights later, I was dozing off to sleep when I heard, as if my spirit guide were whispering in my ear, “Massage therapy, you are going to get into massage therapy.” That took me aback. The next day, I went looking for a school close by. I had no idea about how I was going to get there. I honestly did not know that I would be able to go. However, I applied to Harris School of Business in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I was accepted, then the financial aid came through, which I was scared of and was not sure I was made for. However, I kept going with it. I was given a ride to school on my first day, then took the bus home. The next day, I had to wake up at 4 am to walk to the bus stop and make it to the bus station to catch another bus. I was lucky enough to have a classmate in the same program who lived in the town next to me. Moreover, I was able to carpool to school. I did not have to wake up at 4 am or catch a bus, nor did I have to sleep in the hall until school opened. It worked out well for me. I completed my education, met some great friends, and we had a great time. Then, nine months later, it was over; we completed our program and entered the workforce.

            When I started working as a massage therapist, I worked in corporate massage jobs. I worked at Hand and Stone. I worked for a small business, massaging at the local college. I opened a hand-and-stone location and was made the lead therapist. However, because the manager had a friend quit at her previous location and she hired him, she promised him the lead therapist position. As the lead therapist, I was paid to conduct hands-on auditions and training and to serve as a bridge between the therapist and management. I was fresh out of massage school, and at the time, you could be fired for no reason. The manager fired me so she could hire her friend. This action pissed me off. I moved on with the smaller business and tried to start my own massage business. However, that business did not take off. It is hard to start, run, and sustain a business without clients and money. I was doing everything that I could to get my business up and running. Unfortunately, that did not happen. I worked at another Hand and Stone location that was busy, making good money and earning great tips. I was also working double duty as a part-time spa attendant. However, my responsibilities were in the back room. I would do laundry, clean, keep the bathrooms clean and presentable, help my co-workers ensure everything was stocked, refill sheets, lubricants, and treatments, and make sure waters were ready for their clients. I never thought that I would enjoy this part of the job. Even when I did my job correctly, I would have downtime. I would go out front and make sure the refreshments were situated. I would even do anything the front desk needed help with. There was a time when there was just one person out front checking clients out. I jumped in to help without knowing what to do. Because I was not trained to use the POS system, book clients, or perform any front desk duties, I would go out there when clients were checking in. I would grab a pad and pen and ask, "If you are checking in, please come see me." I would write their names down and go into the back to let the therapists and estheticians know their clients are here. Then, once the front calmed down, I would give the list to the front so they could be checked in. I left and started at another business that lasted one month, then started teaching massage therapy, and was back working for my old boss at a different location. For about a year, I ended up walking away from my jobs because my health started to decline.

            It was not easy for me to walk away; unfortunately, I have not had a job since 2018. I miss being a massage therapist. When I started, I had a long list of massage modalities that I wanted to be certified in. Modalities like cancer massage, medical, prenatal, and more.  When I left my massage career, I left the goals and dreams that went unfulfilled. I wanted to keep teaching, but my health would not allow it. However, it has not stopped me from keeping my love for massage therapy. You might have heard me talk about it in my previous posts. This post will not be any different, as I will share my massage knowledge and the research that supports it.

The Benefits of Regular Massage Treatment

            When I taught massage therapy, the highlight for me was receiving a massage from my students. This was for both our benefit. I got to relax, and they got some feedback to help them grow as therapist. They had to learn table massage before they learned chair massage. It was my favorite class to teach. I would take my students through my chair routine, then teach them to make it their own. No matter the class I was teaching, I made sure to include ways to educate your clients on the benefits of massage therapy. First and foremost, massage therapy is not a luxury; it is part of your healthcare. Massage therapy is prescribed in Europe and recognized as a medical treatment in other parts of the world. However, in the United States, it has become a luxury.

            I would not recommend getting a massage every day because you need to relax. Once a week is ideal, especially if it is for pain management and your insurance covers it.

            Massage therapy can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and worry (Massage for Mental Health| AMTA, n.d). It can improve your mood, decrease your physical pain, and support chronic pain management. Massage therapy is a holistic approach to treating mental health disorders and enhancing the mind-body connection. Plus, it can improve your sleep (Magill, 2024). As you are being massaged, you are releasing tension and releasing the trauma you are carrying with you. As I stated before, if you have insomnia, it can help improve your sleep (Gerlach, 2023). When you are massaged, your blood pressure increases, so you may need blood pressure medication if you have high blood pressure. However, the flow of the massage techniques is to bring fresh oxygenated blood to the muscles and skin. Your skin might be reddish pink after a massage; it is fine—this is called hyperemia. Then you drink plenty of water to help flush toxins from your system. This is what helps your sleep and allows your body to rest and repair itself, which is why sleep is so important (Keillor, 2021).

            I had a client on my table once who had an issue with her right arm. It was a brachial plexus injury, and she could not touch it or use it without there being excruciating pain radiating from it. With her in a supine position, I placed a pillow under her arm. Moreover, with a very light touch, where my fingertips barely touch her arm. I massaged her arm, and it made her cry because she was feeling better and no longer in pain. She let me do some work on her arm. When she was done with her massage, she was singing my praises and in tears because, for the first time in twenty years, she could move her arm without pain, and she could breathe without pain. Beyond that, I did not care if she tipped me well or if I got paid for the massage because knowing that I helped someone who was in pain and in need was enough payment for me.

            In conclusion, I have seen, taught, and experienced the power of massage therapy. I loved massage until I started to feel burnt out from an unbalanced schedule. When at one location, I was booked solid, and at another, I barely had anything. It was difficult for me to sit down, get up, or take a client. There are days I wish I could still be massaging, but my body cannot take that kind of work anymore. However, I do recommend you get regular massages, find a massage therapist who uses the right pressure for your comfort, and speak up when the pressure is too much or too light. Moreover, respect their time, because you are paying for it and have other clients to see as well. Tip well, because most corporate massage places do not pay their therapists well. Nevertheless, I do hope you check it out for yourself.

 

References

Massage For Mental Health | AMTA. (n.d). www.amtamassage.org

            https://www.amtamassage.org/resources/massage-and-health/mental-health/

Magill, K. (2024, June 16). Massage Therapy and Mental Health. The Centre For Health

            Innovation. Thechi.ca https://thechi.can/massagetherapy-and-mental-health/

Gerlach, J. (2023, October 1). Can Getting a Massage Improve Mental Health?

            Psychology Today. www.psychologytoday.com

            https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/beyond-mental-health/202309/can-getting-a-massage-improve-mental-health?msockid=3c615a7a3ec3684126f04bdc3fda69d9

Keillor, J. (2021, November 2). Mayo Clinic Explores The Role of Massage Therapy for

            Mental Health. Mayo Clinic Press.

            https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/mental-health/mayo-clinic-explores-the-role-of massage-therapy-for-mental-health/

Self-Care and The Purpose to Our Mental Health

 by Brian Warriner

            Ever since the pandemic, self-care has become a trendy thing to do and to talk about. We have to start taking care of ourselves, but what if you found out that studies have shown self-care benefits? It is not a trend but a necessity. When we are in the middle of the hustle and bustle of life, sometimes we do not have time to catch our breath. I understand this. I am the caretaker for my parents, a student, and busy with household chores and errands. I understand what everyone goes through. I am trying to figure out life, just like everyone. I am doing my best and giving my all to what I do. Self-care is important for us to stop and take a pause.

            I can admit that the only self-care activity that I employ is journaling. However, self-care is taking care of yourself to enhance your mental health (Vermani, 2023). I know it can be difficult for people, especially parents, to make themselves a priority. However, when you take care of yourself, you can improve your self-esteem and self-worth, and you can teach your children to take care of themselves (Vermani, 2023). It is a necessity in life to be mindful that we matter too, and to take a moment to recharge our batteries.

            We need those moments when we can unplug from technology, the news, and the hell that has crippled our nation and the world. Self-care is meant to maximize the energy sources we intake to power our bodies. These include food, sleep, breath, and state of mind. What that means is that the food we ingest provides the fuel for our bodies, and sleep helps us recharge and relax. When we breathe, we inhale, and when we exercise, we breathe in air, which creates energy; even the thoughts we have can create energy. These sources are important for the energy our bodies use to function.

            I have discussed this in past posts, and in the next post, I will go into it in depth. When I was a massage therapist, I would encourage my clients to take care of themselves. Booking a massage is part of your healthcare and not a luxury. I often encouraged them to put themselves first so they could be present with their families and in their careers. I developed quite a book of clients who come to see me every week. They were the ones I bent over backwards for and took care of. When I left, I made sure they went to someone who would have been a great fit.

What Self-Care Activity Suits You Best?

            There are many self-care activities you can practice to boost your mental health and physical well-being—for example, getting enough sleep, limiting screen time, and creating a calming nighttime routine (McDonough, 2025). Believe me, it can be as simple as that, even if you give yourself a relaxing bubble bath and soak in the quiet time. There is nothing wrong with that. Allow yourself to relax and recharge. You can dilute lavender essential oil with rubbing alcohol and create a sleepy-time pillow spray. Lavender has relaxing properties and, when sprayed on your pillows, acts as aromatherapy for a good night's sleep. If you can sit outside, turn off all your screens and put them on chargers. Grab a cup of tea, sit outside, and enjoy the fresh air, the quiet, or the nighttime sounds. Creating a routine to retreat and relax.

            Emotional activities you can practice include journaling, therapy, meditation (day or night), breathing techniques, and setting boundaries with others (McDonough, 2025). You can have a creative expression. I might be biased, but creative expression is my favorite. Any time I am allowed to be creative, I am happy about that. I can paint, draw, color, knit, craft, and do anything that lets me be creative. I remember one year, I was depressed and did not have any money for Christmas presents. So, I made yarn wreaths with the wire hangers I had around the house. I was given beads and pipe cleaners and made candy cane ornaments. A couple of years ago, I started knitting more scarves. It was something I could do, and I could do one scarf in a day or two. It depends on how often I knit. I ended up donating my scarves to the less fortunate. My self-care brought joy and purpose to people.

            However, if you are feeling down, get up and move. There were days when I was deep in depression, upset, and feeling down. Especially when a guy I was in love with ended our relationship. He was someone that I talked to, met up with, and had such an amazing connection with. To this day, I do not know what happened or what caused the disconnect that led him to end things. When I found out he was seeing someone, it hurt like an arrow in my heart. I cried. I got up, went for a walk, and just listened to music. I would cry and feel better.

            Movement is important to keep your energy flowing and avoid getting stuck or stagnant. Dancing, exercise, yoga, stretching, walking, and working out. Helps you feel better through endorphins and the feeling of well-being (McDonough, 2025). You do not have to go hard with he physical activities. You can do gentle yoga or stretching. It is something that you can do for yourself. My walks, when I was able to go on them, were something that I enjoyed. I would grab my CD player when I was a teenager and a young adult. Then, when I was given an iPod, I loaded it with music and went for a walk. I was able to get out and clear my head. Being able to release the thoughts and emotions I was going through. My physical limitations prevent me from walking distances greater than 25 feet. However, I am trying to get better so I can resume my walks. I need a self-care activity.

            Now, the thing is, self-care is not a one-time thing, and you are all better. It is a constant process. This process is different for you and everyone. Create self-care and healthy habits that help you boost your mental health and well-being. Nutrition is very important to your self-care routine. There is evidence that shows the connection between mental illness and inflammation. Including foods that have anti-inflammatory properties can help improve your mood (Brown, 2022). Some diets focus on anti-inflammatory foods and beverages to help you live a pain-free life. However, I would recommend that you talk to a nutritionist about any diet you might try. It is always good to have actual medical and professional advice to help you improve your nutritional health.

The Importance of Self-Care

            The importance of self-care is that it gives us the space and time to step back from the chaos of our daily lives and recharge. Especially if work, home, school, children, family, and the stresses of life can set you off. I understand the chaos because I take care of my parents, I am a student, and I have house chores. If I go out, it is to the store, doctors' appointments, and the occasional emergency trip. I have my journaling, my therapy sessions, and going to sleep when I need it. Because of my tremors, I cannot knit as much as I would like, and I wanted to make baby blankets for the babies born into my family this year. However, I made myself promise to take some time off and relax, then get to work on those baby blankets. I want to make some baby blankets and donate them to hospitals for children born asleep. My therapy makes a difference to someone and has a purpose and meaning.

            When you are just starting to practice self-care, create a routine that becomes second nature. According to Mental Health First Aid, you want to create a self-care routine. One needs to set self-care goals, consider the dimensions of wellness, choose their strategies, and define their No List —the list of things they say no to. This list is to keep you from getting sidetracked. Turn your self-care practices into a routine and encourage others to practice self-care (Mental Health First Aid USA, 2022).

            As you get into your self-care practice, focus on your physical and mental health. The point of self-care is to focus on what you need and stay goal-oriented. This means setting a goal — like when I knit, I set a goal of a certain number of scarves I make — and staying committed, keeping going with your practice. Do not give up on your routine. If you are not feeling under the weather, then take a break. Remember, you matter as well.  Moreover, do not hesitate to ask for help (Bottaro, 2025).

            We are all stressed out and have chaos in our lives, which is why you, too, need to practice self-care. It is like human touch; it has become essential to our existence. We cannot keep going forward, guns blazing at both barrels. It is no longer healthy to ignore that your body needs to recharge—those who put everyone ahead of themselves and do not take time for themselves. They have become bitter, judgmental, and critical of others. This is why it is important to practice self-care.

            In conclusion, take the time to unplug, recharge, and enjoy your alone time. It is important for your well-being, and your mental health will improve when you start caring for yourself and making yourself a priority.

 

 

 

References

Vermani, M. (2023, February 22). The Connection Between Self-Care and Mental Health.

            Psychology Today. www.psychologytoday.com

            https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/a-deeper-wellness/202302/understanting-the-mental-health-and-self-care-connection?msockid=3c615a7a3ec3684126f04bdc3f469d9

McDonaugh, M. E. (2025, October 15). Self-care. Mentalhealth.com

            https://www.mentalhealth.com/library/self-care

Brown, G.S. (2022, February 5). How Self-Care May Improve Your Mental Health.

            Psychology Today.

            https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/green-psychiatry/202202/how-self-care-may-improve-your-mental-health?msockid=3c615a7a3ec3684126f04bdc3fda69d9

Mental Health First Aid USA. (2022, March 14). How and Why to Practice Self-care.

            Mental Health First Aid. https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/2022/03/how-and-why-to-practice-self-care/

Bottaro, A. (2025, October 10). What is Self-care and Why is it Important?

            Very Well Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-self-care-5212781

The Holistic Approach to Mental Health

 by Brian Warriner

            The landscape of mental healthcare is changing, and the options in treatment for mental health disorders are changing. With the holistic approach, you are treated as a whole person (Better Help, Editorial Team, 2025). This means that mind, body, spirit, and every aspect of your life are included in your treatment, including your sex life, emotions, cognition, social interactions, and eating habits. From this, one can link everything together and enhance one's treatment. If this includes medication, your healthcare team needs to be informed about your treatment.

            As a holistic health practitioner, I have spent years learning and practicing different modalities, including massage therapy, Reiki, energy healing, and Eden Energy Healing. Through my education and career as a massage therapist, I learned how aromatherapy and massage can help with physical ailments and reduce stress through massage therapy. I worked in corporate spas like Hand and Stone or Massage Envy. When I taught massage therapy, I spoke to my students about energy healing and how to incorporate it into their massages.

            My passion has been energy healing, and for my birthday one year ago, I bought myself a Reiki certification. I went to a teacher who taught me levels one and two together. Then, I was certified at level three as a Master Teacher. The fun part was performing my first session with my teacher. Then, afterwards, I received some feedback and learned what I could do to improve. Since then, I have learned about and read about various energy healing modalities and have fallen in love with holistic. Moreover, how can you incorporate them into your medical and healthcare treatments? I have written a book about energy healing and Reiki titled With The Hands of a Healer. I discussed the chakra system, offered ways to incorporate energy work into your life, and explained how to ground your energy. It was something I was proud of, as it combined my years of study and practice into one place.

            I have made holistic health my life’s work, and now I am starting a new chapter in my passion and career. I believe that improving your energy field can help prevent diseases and alleviate the pain of cancer treatment and many other health issues. Through this post, you will see that passion as I educate you, my wonderful readers. I hope you include this in your mental health treatment.

Mind-Body Connection

            I have mentioned this in different terms in previous posts. The Mind-Body connection is a relationship between your mind and body. Where your mind reacts to your word and your body reacts to your mind. For example, when you keep repeating a certain phrase, you develop a physical issue. It is well documented through the works of Dolores Cannon and her Quantum Healing Hypnosis Technique. She discussed how we think ourselves into disease. This is the truth: We say things like, “My back is killing me.” “I cannot stomach life.” Alternatively, “My head is killing me.” If we say it often, we will develop physical issues. You break your back, or develop stomach cancer, or you have a stroke. You spoke those things into existence. We need to stop that and start to program for positive things.

            Mind-body connection is a relationship between your mental and physical health. This can also affect your emotional and bodily states (McGarvie, 2025). It is important to understand how our health is interconnected. Our words create the world around us, our mind reacts to those words, and our body reacts to the mind. Making the mind the healer and the killer. Because we do think ourselves into sickness and disease, we can think ourselves into disease by saying things that create the sickness. Also, why don’t we think ourselves into health? Saying things like, “I am healthy.” “I am strong, healthy, and all my body systems work in perfect working order.”

            I do recommend that when you meditate, you go through your body systems and your cells, bringing them to a healthy state. When you listen to a live lecture of Sylvia Browne’s, she walks you through a meditation to bring your systems up and to rinse your body clean of any pain, except for pain that is a warning sign that you should see your doctor. However, the pain that we put on our bodies.

Types of Holistic Health Practices

            There are many forms of holistic health practices that can be brought into your mental health treatment. Practices like massage therapy, meditation, movement therapy, and energy healing. These practices have been proven to improve your overall health. It is because when you express what is going on with you, you release it and get it out. Then, we try to fill the hole the release has left. It keeps us stuck in the same place. Thus, we are stuck in the same cycle because it keeps us in our comfort zone. I have seen this in my energy healing work and my massage work. During massage sessions, clients often come in with pain in their necks. I would ask them, as I massage, who is a pain in the neck. It would be their spouse, children, boss, or work, whatever it may be. I would say take a deep breath in and let it out. We would do that three times, by way of breath, we are releasing the pain in the neck and bringing in healing energy to replace it. That is how I included energy work into my massage sessions. My client would feel the pain go away. I explained to them and my students when I taught massage therapy. Everything that bothers us starts on an energetic level and, over time, eats away at our aura till it hits the physical body. That is how we manifest physical health issues. We will feel it before it gets to our physical body.

            Energy work was something that I had done in the past. My spiritual journey started in 2009, and a mini session led to a full session. After my first full session, I felt like a drug addict going through withdrawal. I have talked about it in my first book, which is Retired, The Spirit of Me: Coming Out as a Medium. I discuss my spiritual journey and what I have learned up to 2013. I have since seen other healers and learned more, and right now I am not able to, but I do wish to continue my personal energy work.

Benefits of Holistic Health

            The benefits of holistic health practices are improved mental health and mood. One can also see that their sleep has improved, their energy has increased, their anxiety and stress have reduced, and they have a greater sense of peace and well-being (Baron, 2024). Depending on the practice you employ, there are other benefits. For example, if you are doing tai chi or yoga, you will notice improved flexibility, strength, and range of motion in your joints.

            When you are using a holistic health check with your doctors, you might have an issue that is contraindicated for massage, especially if you have an infection and are on antibiotics. You cannot receive a massage when you have an active infection and are on antibiotics. Once you are done with the antibiotics, you must be cleared, and most places require a doctor’s note to receive a massage. I have had to turn clients away for this. Furthermore, if you were in the hospital on a Monday and were discharged on a Friday, then do not make an appointment for a massage on a Saturday. Because you will need to be cleared by a medical doctor in order to receive a massage. I have several years of experience as a licensed massage therapist in the state of New Jersey.

            I have worked as an energy healer for many years and studied different modalities. I learned Reiki, and its noninvasiveness adds to its appeal. Because, unlike massage, the client does not have to undress to their comfort level. They get on the table for their session. I taught about energy healing and demonstrated it on a student who was going through a lot at the time. Afterwards, I sat with her and discussed in private what I was picking up. Normally, I share as I conduct the session, but not in a group setting like that. She validated what I was picking up. If you have a session with me, I will share what comes up with you, and we will work to clear it. Sometimes, the need for silence, to do the energy work, and to guide the energy is an important part. It is really what the helping spirits say.

            You can apply these holistic health practices to your mental health treatment, especially if you are recovering from addiction, stress management, management for your anxiety and depression, and for other mental health conditions (Himas, 2025). Along with these practices, nutrition also plays a role. When you make positive changes for your health and wellness, your body may start to demand them. Like changing what you ingest, your body may have you cut out the caffeine, processed foods, and fast foods. Furthermore, you might start eating fresh, clean, organic foods and beverages. When you treat yourself better and introduce these holistic health practices into your mental health treatment, you will start to feel better. However, I want to stress that you should never discontinue your mental health medication and treatment without discussing it with your mental health professionals.

            In conclusion, when you include holistic health practices in your mental health treatment plan, remember these important points. Make sure your team is in communication with each other. That your doctor prescribes medication is an integral part of your treatment plan. Even if they do not believe in a holistic health approach, research and studies support its effectiveness, and a true practitioner of holistic health will show you. It is about you, the client, and treating you as a whole person, and getting to the root of your issues.

 

 If you wish to purchase a copy of my book With the Hands of a Healer. Click on the link below. 

https://www.lulu.com/shop/brian-l-warriner/with-the-hands-of-a-healer/paperback/product-mr5kz5.html?q=Brian+L+Warriner&page=1&pageSize=4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Better Help, Editorial Team. (2025, February 28). The Holistic Approach to Mental

            Healthcare: Exploring Holistic Health and Therapy| Better Help. Betterhelp.com

            https://www.beatterhelp.com/advice/therapy/the-holistic-approach-to-mental-health-care-exploring-holistic-health-and-therapy/

McGarvie, Susan. (2025, April 16). Body-Mind Integration: Training Attention For

            Mental and Physical Health. PositivePsychology.com. Positive Psychology

            https://positivepsychology.com/body-mind-integration-attention-training/

Holistic Therapy: Types, Uses, and Effectiveness. (2025, September 6). Helpguide.org.

            https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/treatment/holistic-therapy

Baron, M. (2024, September 20). Holistic Approach to Mental Health Care-

            Moriah Behavioral Health. Moriah Behavioral Health.com

            https://www.moriahbehavioralhealth.com/holistic-approaches-to-mental health-care/

Himas, R. (2025, September 10). Understanding Holistic Approaches in Mental Health

            Centers. Mental Health Centers.

            https://www.mentalhealthcenters.org/understanding-holistic-approaches-in-mental-health-centers/

Thursday Journal Prompts

by Brian Warriner

            Journaling is a powerful tool for your mental health and the stresses of life in general. I have spoken about my journaling journey and have provided prompts to help you on your path. These prompts are meant to spark inspiration for you to start your journaling journey. I know when you are just starting your journaling journey, you might get stuck on what to write. My advice to you is to pick a prompt and write about the day. The next day, pick another one once you have started to pick up the habit of journaling. You will be able to freelance your writing by journaling about thoughts and dreams, experiences, and whatever else comes up. Enjoy the journey. Happy Writing!

      1.      What three qualities I love about myself?

      2.      What accomplishments am I most proud of?

      3.      What small action can I take today to feel more confident?

      4.      When was a time I overcame a challenge, and what does it say about my strength?

      5.      What mistakes have I learned from, and how have they helped me grow?

      6.      Write down a negative thought you’ve had about yourself recently. What is a kinder, truer version of the thought?

      7.      List 10 things you can do immediately to feel better.

      8.      What do I struggle to love most about myself?

      9.      What is your favorite thing to do to treat yourself?

    10. What are 3 goals you want to accomplish before the end of the year?

    11. Where am I blocking my own love from myself?

    12. Write out 15 compliments you can give yourself.

    13. Describe a moment when you were able to accept yourself for who you are, flaws and all.

    14. How do you define success, and how does this affect your self-esteem?

    15. How do you compare yourself to others, and how does this affect your self-esteem?

    16. How are you going to practice self-care today?

    17. What do you need to forgive yourself for?

    18. Write a short letter to your seven-year-old self.

     19. Talk about your greatest achievement.

     20. Identify your values and discuss why you value these traits.

     21. What is the most difficult thing you have overcome, and how did you do it?

     22. When do you feel the most confident?

     23. When have you showed courage recently?

     24. What do you do well?

      25. How would your close friends describe you?