World Mental Health Day: 4 Self-Care Tips From SI Swim Models

Today and every day, we’re committed to facilitating conversations around mental health.

Mady Dewey, Kamie Crawford, Lauren Chan, Katie Austin and Ellie Thumann.Mireya Acierto/Getty Images, Mireya Acierto/Getty Images, Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images, Mireya Acierto/Getty Images, and Mireya Acierto/Getty Images

Today is World Mental Health Day, an occasion to raise awareness while encouraging mental health educational efforts and ongoing conversations worldwide. This year’s theme, according to the World Health Organization, is “Mental health is a universal human right.”

Creating a safe space to discuss mental health is a cornerstone of the SI Swimsuit brand, and we regularly engage with our talent on related topics, from self-care to imposter syndrome. In fact, our “Be You Women’s Empowerment Series,” presented by Maybelline, has been making stops at Big 12 schools this fall to provide a unique, interactive experience that encourages young women to take charge of their mental health through panel discussions and various branded activations.

Since self-care is key to maintaining one’s mental health, in honor of the Oct. 10 observance of World Mental Health Day, we’ve compiled a few of our favorite tips from SI Swimsuit models on how they best maintain their mental health.

Start your day with positive affirmations

Mady Dewey, a rookie in the 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue, is very vocal about prioritizing her well-being while balancing her work as a content creator and marketer. 

“I am a firm believer that confidence comes from within and affirmations are such a helpful tool to make you feel your absolute best on the inside so you can shine on the outside,” Dewey stated on Instagram this summer.

She uses the following affirmations to start her day on a positive note:

1. I am enough, as I am, right now.
2. I am strong. I am confident. I am powerful.
3. I radiate positivity and confidence.
4. I acknowledge my accomplishments and celebrate my progress.

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Embrace therapy

Kamie Crawford, a two-time brand star, and Lauren Chan, 2023 SI Swimsuit rookie, both credit regular therapy sessions with bettering their mental health.

“Therapy has become a major part of my life for over a year now and it has really transformed me as a woman,” Crawford told SI Swimsuit last year. “I realized that while I had gotten myself through a lot of things, I still had life experiences and trauma that I didn’t need to carry the weight of alone. I’m in virtual therapy once a week and I’ve grown in the ways that I manage my stress, overthinking and so much more.”

Similarly, Chan shared that she started going to therapy regularly after launching her luxury womenswear brand, Henning, in 2018.

“[With therapy] I’ve been able to get to know myself really well and prioritize how I feel and act and that has led to a really great meditation practice,” Chan stated. “I’ve been taking more time out of my life to sit and think about how I’m living and what I’m feeling and therefore what I want to contribute and who I want to be and all that good stuff.”

Make time for movement 

Whether she’s at home or traveling, reigning co-Rookie of the Year Katie Austin prioritizes movement for the benefit of both her physical and mental health. 

“Having just like 15 minutes in the morning of some movement, I think that can really help my anxiety...,” Austin told us during Miami Swim Week this summer. “I know that you should have no food guilt and enjoy your life, but [some movement] makes me feel like I can just enjoy my life a little more and with a good attitude.”

Give the fitness influencer’s five favorite workout moves a try to release those endorphins and boost your mood.

Ask for help when you need it

Ellie Thumann, a rookie in the 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue, is known for her candor when it comes to showing both her successes and struggles on social media. The YouTube star opened up on TikTok last month to let her followers in on her mental health struggles during New York Fashion Week. 

She chronicled her first day at the event, including an anxiety attack, and offered some thoughtful advice to her followers about reaching out to loved ones.

“My anxiety is a lot and it’s really difficult for me to ask for help sometimes and i realized tackling the city by myself is just some thing that is not in the cards for me right now,” Thumann wrote in a Sept. 7 TikTok caption. “I’m in tune with myself and it’s hard for me to ask for help sometimes but I did and i feel alot better for it. Those who also struggle with mental health, you are not alone. It is a daily battle for me, and some days get the best of me.”

Resources: 

• 988 Mental Health Emergency Hotline: 988
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK 
• The Trevor Project: 1-866-4-U-TREVOR

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