National Self Care Week

During National Self Care Week I posted a self care tip each day on social media. I thought it might be a good idea to have them all in one place for easy reference. It’s also a reminder that taking care of our health and well-being is a responsibility which doesn’t have to be a chore.

Be kind to yourself in thoughts, words and actions. We can be far less forgiving and compassionate towards ourselves than we are to others. How different would things be for you if you chose to treat and speak to yourself as you would a friend?

Get more sleep. Everything feels harder and more of a challenge when you’re tired.

Gratitude is powerful. It allows us to realise how lucky/blessed we really are. It helps us focus more on the good in our life and it also helps us attract more good stuff to us.

Drinking enough good quality water is imperative for our health and well-being. It’s a basic form of self care. Being properly hydrated allows the physical body to carry out the thousands of functions it needs to daily with greater ease. It helps us think more clearly, is good for our memory and helps slow down the signs of ageing.

Spending time outdoors can do us the world of good. Particularly if you can be close to nature. It helps reduce stress levels, can clear your head and also help you feel more grounded. Going for a walk can be a great remedy for many things.

How often do you ‘should’ on yourself? When we use the word ‘should’ we are effectively cutting out all other possibilities. This is rarely helpful. If you replace the word ‘should’ with the word ‘could’ you instantly open yourself up to a choice. “I could do this” or “I could do that instead”. It can help reduce a great deal of self imposed pressure which in turn reduces our stress levels.

Take some time to relax and unwind, even if it’s just the time it takes to have a cuppa. Having some time out on a regular basis is a critical part of self care.

As I’m sure you can tell, these are only a few ideas of how we can be more proactive with our self care. There are many more things we could do, or not do, as the case may be. What’s important is that taking care of ourselves becomes more of a priority and that each day we are taking small steps in one form or another to do so.