Life is busy and we all prioritise different areas of our lives. One area that frequently that gets left behind and ignored is self-care.
What is self-care and why does it matter?
Self-care is about looking after you, giving yourself the nurturing time that you do others, taking time out to value yourself. Some people may feel that this is self-indulgent but the truth is, if we don’t look after ourselves then we will eventually not be able to look after others either. By running ourselves into the ground we then potentially have nothing left to give! By setting the example of self-care you are sharing with others a valuable life skill.
What can I do to self-care?
Self-care is about prioritising you, doing things which you enjoy. Give yourself a positive time-out! Arrange in your calendar time for you, it doesn’t have to be a huge chunk of time it can be 10-20 minutes or whatever time you have available. Self-care is doing things that give you enjoyment and allow you to recharge. Examples maybe; reading (for pleasure, not work or study), going for a walk, visiting a place of interest, gardening (gentle), watching a film or programme you get pleasure from, listen to your favourite music. Try to go device free for a period of time, consider learning something new that you would enjoy, Exercise can be valuable self-care as it works on two levels helping both physically and emotionally, exercise can help with mood, sleep, stress, self-esteem and confidence as well as the physical benefits gained from exercise. Having a relaxing bath, meditation and mindfulness are also beneficial but the key is that it is something that you enjoy. For some people, they may wish to be with others rather than on their own and this is fine too as long as it is positive time where you feel valued and can relax.
Self-care is for everyone, so please go ahead and give it a try.