With everything we have been through over the past couple of years, now more than ever it is particularly important that we prioritise self-care. But what exactly is self-care? Images that come to mind are face masks and bubble baths, but the truth is self-care can be many things.
Overall self-care is simply taking an active role in protecting your own wellbeing. Good self-care practices are linked to positive mental health and physical health, and overall life satisfaction. Good self-care not only improves how you feel but it can improve your relationships with others such as family and friends.
So, its clear that self-care is important but how do we start taking care of ourselves.
Firstly, take steps to take care of your physical and mental health with the following tips:
- Eat a healthy balanced diet with lots of fruit and veggies
- Drink plenty of water
- Get enough sleep to feel refreshed and energised
- Exercise and spend time outdoors
- Learn ways to manage your stress levels
- Spend time with people you care about
Secondly, think about the activities that bring you joy and start doing more of that, everybody is different but here are some examples:
- Gardening
- Cooking
- Reading
- Going for a walk
- Playing sport
- Watching a movie
- Trying something new e.g. painting, Pilates etc.
- Bubble baths and face masks
Thirdly, be kind to yourself:
- Use kind language when you talk about yourself
- Give yourself a break – it’s ok to feel tired, stressed or overwhelmed at times
- Take time to relax and wind down and give yourself permission to do nothing when needed
- Reach out if you are struggling – talk to friends and family or contact support services to talk to a professional
For everyone who is reading this think about what you have done to practice self-care in the past week, and think about how you can make it a priority moving forward.