What is a minority? The dictionary reports a minority is “the smaller number or part, especially a number that is less than half the whole number (Oxford Languages, Google).” In the United States, this can be divided into a number of different categories: socioeconomic status, health, race, culture, geographic location, or even a person’s preferences. It is also important to acknowledge the differences between minority and majority and associated stereotypes. A stereotype is “a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing (Oxford Languages, Google).” The difference being that stereotypes are the “image or idea” held by a person and this can be ever changing. Stigma is also another term that is associated with misconstrued beliefs about labels or ideas. Due to stigma and stereotypes, those represented in minorities often experience challenges and mental health symptoms.

The following are the most common minorities in the US currently and each minorities percentage of the population (Barbour, 2020):

• Hispanic or Latino (18.5%)
• Foreign-born persons (13.5%)
• Black/African American (13.4%)
• Asian (5.9%)
• Veterans (17.6%)
• Persons with disabilities (8.6%)
• Woman in regards to workplace for example (10/3 for higher level positions) and color 4%
• LGBTQ+

Due to cultural stigmas and difficulty accessing mental health services, minority groups tend to suffer from many different mental health challenges (Health disparities). It is important to advocate for mental health services for all as well as culturally competent and sensitive providers. It is also important to note that the Covid-19 pandemic has made it more difficult for minorities to find and seek mental health services (Health Disparities). This is a result of changing availabilities of businesses and health risks associated with public involvement. Erasing stigma, stereotypes, and biases about minorities can be the first step to advocating for improved mental health for all.

International Self-Care Day (July 24th)

When discussing self-care, it has quickly become associated with a “Pinterest version” of what that means or looks like: luxurious vacations, bubble baths, and shopping sprees galore. While that’s all well and good, that’s not an accurate representation of what self-care is. In reality, self-care has been defined: “as providing adequate attention to one’s own physical and psychological wellness (Beauchamp & Childress, 2001)” which encompasses multiple areas of wellness. These areas can include, but are not limited to: physical self-care, emotional self-care, social self-care, spiritual self-care, and professional self-care.

What do those categories of self-care look like?

• Physical self-care: getting adequate sleep, exercise, healthy food, attending routine health check-ups, good personal hygiene, rest when sick, etc.
• Emotional self-care: stress management, positive social supports, asking for help, participate in hobbies, expressing feelings in a healthy way, taking time off of work/school/ other obligations, etc.
• Social self-care: spending time with people you like, doing enjoyable activities with other people, have stimulating conversations, etc.
• Spiritual self-care: meditation, prayer, spend time in nature, act in accordance with my morals and values, set aside time for thought and reflection, etc.
• Professional self-care: set boundaries to maintain balance between your professional life and your personal life, take breaks, learn new things related to my profession, etc.

After looking through these examples, what are some things you know you do well regarding self-care? What needs more attention? What is something you could try?