Since lock down began back in March I’ve been trying to focus on spending more time practising self-care. For me I haven’t found adjusting to lock down life easy. Within less than twenty-four hours notice I went from spending 14 hours a day out of the house to spending week after week trapped inside the same four walls. Now with a second lock down looming getting into the habit of practising self-care is more important than ever.
But what is self-care? The Oxford Dictionary describe self-care as
“The practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.”
https://www.lexico.com/definition/self-care
However I would argue that self-care isn’t something you implement when your stressed, it is something that is added to your daily routine that helps minimises the impact of stress. Self-care isn’t all about spending hours meditating and doing yoga or drinking a kale smoothie because, lets be honest, that isn’t sustainable for most of us. It’s the little things like doing a digital detox, buying yourself flowers or painting your nails that when done little and often can help relieve stress.
Today I thought I would share with you a few of my favourite ways to practice self-care:
Brain Dump – When things start to build up in my head I like to write it down on paper as a mind map or a list. It could be tasks I need to complete, songs I’ve heard or brands I want to check out when I have a minute. It helps me to visualise and prioritise everything I need to do.
Working Out – Working out may be an obvious form of self-care but I find that after finishing work there is nothing better than going for a run or doing a body combat class. It helps me to take away the pressure of the day. I also tend to push myself harder after having a bad day.
Colouring in – I like to take five or ten minutes out of my day when I can to do something arty. Colouring in is a quick and easy way to release stress. It also involves less mess to tidy away afterwards.
Baking – Baking is a science. Everything is timed down to the second. For example if you take a cake out to early and it will sink. I find that baking is good way to make my mind focus and forget about any other issues. Plus you get to eat your bakes afterwards. My favourite thing to bake is an old fashioned school cake with sprinkles.
They are just a few of my favourites but there are more than deserve an honourable mention:
- Have bubble bath
- Take a nap
- Read a book
- Light a candle
- Book a spa day
- Cook your favourite meal
- De-clutter
- Watch your favourite movie
Do you try to prioritise self-care? What is your favourite way to practice self-care?
Until next time,
Sian x
