I love a rainbow coloured, sweet smelling bath bomb bath as much as the next person (to be
honest, I may as well set up some sort of monthly standing order to
feed my Lush habit), but this <<< little guy is my way of saying I'm a tiny bit worried that the phrase 'self
care' is becoming sort of like when people thought Hygge was just buying a
cosy blanket and stringing up some fairy lights. (Those are gorgeous things too, but there's so much more to Hygge than that! - That's another post for another day!)
For me, self care means being kind to yourself in a million tiny different ways.
Sure, spoiling
yourself with fancy baths and your favourite treats is part of it, but it's also
all boring but important things; like making sure you get enough sleep,
giving yourself time out when everything gets a bit much, drinking plenty of water, taking your makeup off before bed...
(subliminal note to self there!)
It's also about taking good care of your mental health - something I think is
essential for everyone, whether you suffer/identify with any particular
mental illness(es) or not.
You don't need to have anxiety to feel the
benefits of a walk in the fresh air, or be depressed to know that taking
time out to put your thoughts in order is a good idea.
The world we live in these days is SO full and busy and non stop, I think self care is more important than ever; but I think it's equally important to realise that it's not just about 'treats' when you're feeling a bit run down or gloomy, it should be a part of your daily routine to help avoid feeling that way in the first place!
My own personal self care 'habits' include...
- Taking 10 minutes before bed to write down at least three good things from my day
- Taking another few minutes to write my to do list for the following day (I sleep so much better if I have at least a vague plan of attack ready for when I get up!)
- And another couple to sort out clothes for the next day (And make sure the short one's got school uniform ready & the tall one's got a shirt ironed) - I am not a natural morning person, so any jobs I can do in advance, are massively helpful!
- Swapping at least one cup of coffee for green tea everyday. (Turns out, I actually quite like green tea, but I'm still drinking waaay too much coffee. It's a work in progress!)
- Getting to bed before 11pm (and not looking at my phone for at least 20 minutes before hand.){I am definitely not 100% nailing this one yet, but I'm doing my best!)
What are yours?
I've already thrown this question open to my happy gang, who have some brilliant things going on (many of which I shall be trying!) - but I'd love to hear from more of you & maybe do a follow up post with a list of ideas that might be helpful to others too?
Leave a comment after the beep (beep) or email me, I'd be delighted to hear from you!
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