My Top 10 Self-Care Things for Mental Health, Feb 2026
- harryautherapy
- Feb 3
- 5 min read
Tips from a therapist...in no particular order, these are 8 self-care things that has a positive impact on my mental health:
1. Less screen time and lots of books
I get stuck on YouTube quite a bit. It’s gotten to the point where I always need a video playing in the background throughout the day. But on a fateful day when my Bluetooth speaker ran out of batteries, I took a pause from the constant background noise. And I really noticed my body relaxing. There are several reasons for that.
First, without the constant background noise, it frees up my mind to actually attune to my body. I can focus on my breathing and can feel the parts of my body that is tight. Second, the constant noise and images of the videos is over-stimulating me, so my body is never truly relaxed.
I have been replacing my evening down-time with reading. And the great thing with reading is…I take lots and lots of mini breaks and pauses while I read. And I sometimes just sit there and breathe or think or just be bored in those breaks. Or I get up and walk around my home with no apparent purpose.
We’re inundated with stimulus, all at our fingertips. Finding these small moments of calm and boredom is really changing how I connect to my body.
Nathan Laundry is a YouTuber who shares his journey on regaining his “digital agency,” and tips on how to fight the addiction-tactics that social media and companies weaponize against us. This video is a good starting point. Yes, I am telling you to watch a YouTube video on how to stay off YouTube.
So anywaysss…yes, books. So what exactly am I reading right now…?
2. Manga, manga, and more MANGA
And maybe some non-manga inbetween. But here are some stuff I am currently reading or recently finished reading. I read multiple series at once, so I can have a variety to choose from based on my mood at the moment.
Pluto
A sci-fi mystery series with a backdrop of humans co-existing with AI robots in society. And when one of the most beloved and advanced robots gets killed, we are thrown into the detective mystery and the sci-fi world-building of mangaka Urasawa Naoki. I’ve only started the second volume, with a total of 8 volumes.
Psyren
This is a childhood favourite of mine, and I often re-read this. What I noticed this time around is how mature the two main characters are. They communicate with each other, they resolve their conflicts without dragging it out, and they are supportive of each other. Still mostly a shonen manga, so there’s some weird moments of fan service. But damn, do some of these characters look so damn cool and have really hyped-up moments.
Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou
This is a nice slice of life manga that follows an AI robot who runs a café, and her daily interactions with the people in the community. It’s a nice break from all the plot-driven manga that I am usually reading.
Ajin: Demi-Human
I remember when I first came across this series in 2020. During that period, I was very gung-ho building my therapy clinic. The only thing that was able to distract me was this manga. It’s about a group of humans that can come back to life after they die. The mangaka uses this ability in so many creative ways for the characters to solve their problems, always leaving me at the edge of my seat.
The Fable
This won the 2017 Kodansha Manga Award for best general manga. I read it a year ago, and I'm re-reading it again already. It's just so good! It’s about a hitman who was given an order to live as a “normal person” for a year. Trying to stay out of trouble, he ultimately gets caught up with the local yakuza and a rival hitman group. This is a great mix of comedy, drama, and action. Him pretending not to know how to fight when some thugs started bothering him is hilarious. He’s a pro.
Alita: Battle Angel
A classic. I just started volume one. Not a lot to say here, since I only read one chapter so far.
I don’t know how I ended up writing manga reviews…but...
3. Do I read non-picture books too?
Yes, I do. Occasionally. I guess.
White Supremacy, Racism and the Coloniality of Anti-Trafficking
It’s been about a decade since I was last engaged in sex work advocacy. It’s nice to get reacquainted with this knowledge, and learn new knowledge. It’s a constant tension, being a business owner and having social justice values. In the past 5 years, I have been skewed towards building a livable career within the Capitalist system. There were definitely moments where I feared I may have lost my way. With my life a little more stable now, I’m hoping to find a better balance for myself.
Fawning: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves – And How to Find Our Way Back
"Fawning" is referring to the 4F's of the nervous system response to threat: fight-flight-freeze-fawn. I am a fawner, as are many of my clients. Maybe you are too. If that is so, this is a great read for you.
4. The Public Library
This is such an incredible resource. All the manga I’m reading is from the library. There may be a waitlist for some of them, but I’m not in a rush.
As a kid, I used to love browsing the library. It was always a special trip, anticipating the books I’ll find and treasure hunting books to read. Nowadays, I’m looking up online reviews of books and book recommendations in lieu of browsing the library. In 2026, I’m hoping to just go to a library to browse and get lost in the stacks.
5. Forgiving myself for overspending
I’m pretty on top of my spendings and budgeting. But then, December 2026 happened. The holidays spending and the thrifting and impulsively buying manga on sale…I definitely went over-budget. But I can’t be perfect, and I’ll be kind to myself and forgive myself, and get back on the budgeting wagon.
6. Taiyaki and small daily pleasures
These damn little fish-shaped custard pastry thingies are so damn good. I’m on the look out for small daily pleasures. It always feels nice to make a special trip to get a small snack. It feels especially nice braving the cold and the snow. So far, on my roster of daily pleasures:
Bubble tea
Getting snacks at Dollarama for at-home movie night
Rice tea and manga
Chinese calligraphy
7. Makgeolli
Kim’s Winery is a family-run winery specializing in makgeolli. It’s so damn good yall! The fruity flavours are delicious, but my fav is still the original. The son delivered the order himself, and explained how to store it and how to best enjoy it.
In 2026, I’m really hoping to support more local businesses in my community.
This tiny bookstore sells manga and comic books. It’s such a gem. It’s small and filled to the brim with books. I browsed there many times, and finally made my first purchase not long ago! Please support them!
If you found these helpful, here are a few more tips/things.
Hey there, my name is Harry, and I’m an Asian therapist here to support your search for health and authenticity. If you are open to weekly self-care FUN-ctivities, subscribe to my “Happy Chemicals Club.” Or maybe you'd find my Asian Survival Guide helpful.
Harry Au
Therapy for Asians
MSW, RSW | he/him
I help Asians go from feeling trapped to becoming self-liberated.
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