Top 20 self care tips

1. Make sleep part of your self care

Sleep is key to restorative nature of your body. Getting a decent night’s sleep, can not only help the common cold but also help with mental and physical injuries. 

2. & 3. Care of your gut & Eat Right

The saying ‘listen to my gut’ has never been more true when referring to your self care. Your gut is the best way to tell how you are doing. With the content belly after dinner or the squirmy nervousness of anxiety. Your gut is a second way to knowing how you are doing. So you should take care of it. By minimising unhealthy takeaways and microwave meals, invest in probiotic yoghurt alongside fresh fruit. Also by removing foodstuff which you not upsets your stomach will also keep your stomach feeling happy and fresh. 

4. Exercise

The go to of all health websites both physical and mental. Exercise. The pumping of blood. The release of Endorphins. They both help to improve mood, but they also help you to have dedicated time to yourself. Going for a 30 minute run, jog, walk or gym, session helps you to pencil in time to yourself. This tip is key to ensure your don’t get dragged into many directions before you snap. 

5. Trip by yourself or 6. plan a getaway

I know, it’s scary right? Travelling on your own. Now I’m not talking, take a month long trip to Bali. More a weekend in the countryside or to another city. Even a spa weekend somewhere. Having that time to yourself. To think, relax and be away from everything you know. It is refreshing and energising. It does take some time to get used to and it isn’t always for everyone. However, those adventurous types this might be up there street. 

7. Animal Love 

Scientific studies have shown that pets help with lowering anxiety and improving mood within humans. Probably to do with the unconditional love they show. But this is the reason we now have support animals for people who suffer from a variety of illnesses. Either physically like epilepsy to metally with PTSD. Now if you don’t have pooch of fur baby to cuddle. Maybe offering dog or cat sitting services to a friend. There are also apps out there where you can look after someone’s pet for a weekend or so. 

8. Organisation of yourself

A tidy desk is a tidy mind. Whilst my desk isn’t always tidy. My bedroom always needs to be before I go to sleep. Something about the reassurance that I will wake up fresh in the morning to a tidy bedroom. Sets me up for the night and in the morning. It depends on the person, but sometimes a tidy desk/ room/ space might help with your self care. People may find it therapeutic to tidy a space instead. Either way organisation of a space helps organise a mind. 

9. Cook for yourself

There is nothing more satisfying than preparing a meal for yourself. Not a ready made. Nothing that was premade and placed in the microwave. Something which you have chopped, cooked and prepared yourself. The fresh food will not only be good for your gut and health but also the satisfaction of cooking, will give you some confidence.

10. End your shower with an invigorating blast.

Another way to get a rush of endorphins, other than exercise is to at the end of your shower: blast yourself with cold water. I mean cold water. As your body tries to keep the heat, it helps your circulation get moving. Providing a large amount of energy for your body as well as the happy hormone. Therapy for depression involving cold water baths and outdoor swimming has been shown to help.

11. Breathe like a yogi.

If you yogis, out there are reading then you will be familiar with this technique. Breathing using the alternate-nostril technique has meditivative effect to some people. Just purely focussing on your breathing for 20 mins will help some to lift their move and apparently improve your memory.

Try this alternate-nostril technique: Make an L with your right thumb and first finger; take a deep breath; press the right side of your nose with your thumb to block your right nostril; exhale; inhale through your left nostril; block your left nostril and release the right; exhale; inhale. Switch sides; repeat.

12. Think of food in energy terms.

If you are trying to lose weight, it can be quite demoralising and depressing. Especially when you are not losing enough, quick enough. Sometimes compartmentalising food makes things simpler and more forgiving. Thinking about food as fuel for your body to do things you love. So instead of worrying about calories you are eating, consider what you are going to need for the days activities. For example, will a rice cake really get you through that high paced exercise class?

13. Savor soothing scents.

Essential oil in a diffuser has been a long standing way of influencing how you feel using one of your senses. For example use your favourite smell to create a calming effect. Or try lavender when you are struggling to sleep. Or maybe peppermint for stress relief. The familiar smells will be grounding when you are around your flat.

14. Sleep deeply with a weighted blanket.

Everyone likes to be hugged. This is how that feels. Under a weighted blanket is a comforting feeling, almost as if you are under a heavy quilt in winter whilst there is snow falling. That feeling of safety, warmth and support is sometimes all you need to get through the day. Or after a hard days work. 

15. Treat yourself to fresh blooms.

As Parks and Rec have gone viral. TREAT YO SELF. Something which always brings a smile on my face is a fresh bouquet of flowers. Especially if they are my favourite, peonies. Instead of waiting for someone to buy them for you or for a special occasion, just buy yourself a bouquet from your local shop and enjoy their natural beauty. Keep them in a cool place, away from heat and they will last!

16. Build a better bed.

Building blocks to self care is a good night’s sleep. That is made easier to having a good sleeping arrangement is best. Finding that optimum mattress, pillows and quilt that suit your sleeping habits. We generally sleep better in cooler temperatures so following that guidelines should set you up for far better sleep. 

17. Unfollow people who bring you down.

Do you ever look at people on your social media and go. You do nothing to create a positive outlook for me? Whether it is negative story sharing, or unsolicited half naked photos which make you self conscious. No one should have to look at the posts and have it negatively impact their day. We spend around 45 minutes a day on social media- occasionally more. With that amount of time spent on these websites. A positive outlook would certainly help set you up for the day and help maintain a good environment for your self care routine. 

So sort through your friends and followers, then delete people who you really do not want to impact your day negatively.

18. Embrace JOMO (the joy of missing out).

At first there was YOLO, and what a negative way to live. That constant expectation to live  as if you will have only once chance to do anything. The pressure created by friends stating ‘YOLO’ when you say you are not really in the mood to go out. 

I am here to tell you that you should be following JOMO. The joy of missing out. Don’t stress about friends going to post work cocktails and you aren’t. Sometimes you just need that time to yourself. You know when you are and aren’t in the mood. So listen to yourself and you will help yourself in the long run. If you struggle to say no and worry about folding to guilt trips. Saying ‘I don’t go out on weeknights’ removes that debate and puts you in control of your time. 

19. Do nothing

Sometimes there is a joy in having no plans at all. You can just relax in your flat, watching a self care movie on netflix or sleeping. Whichever floats your boat. The lack of stress for socialising and being ‘entertaining’ is gone when you are only pleasing yourself. 

20. Be yourself

The last and final self care tip is to be yourself. There is no joy in trying to be something you are not. Whether that is pretending to like something when you don’t or trying something because a friend has pushed you into it. That stress and lack of confidence does nothing for your self-care. The release you will get for embracing yourself will make up doing or being something you are not.