When life is constantly moving so fast, sometimes you have to pause and consider what is missing from all of it. A lot of the time for us multi-tasking women, it is ourselves. It may feel easy to lose ourselves in the chaos and confusion of life, but unfortunately, it is only at the last, burnt-out minute that we realise we need to sit down with ourselves and allow the well-overdue self-care. Falling into unhealthy habits for our mental or physical health is often more comfortable than forcing a new healthier habit, but if you don’t start somewhere you will, unfortunately, be stuck in this feeling of overwhelming stress. These suggestions will help you start this self-care journey, and grant you the time to invest in yourself that you deserve.
What Is Self-Care
Self-care can mean many different things to many different people. The general rule of self-care is the promotion of health and well-being through the use of healthy habits and behaviours. The main purpose of self-care is to boost your overall mood and to help regulate your moods for your long-term happiness. This can be done in a multitude of ways, such as through your diet, your sleep schedule, and with many other habits that all have the same intention of balancing your mood and encouraging a healthy life. Our suggestions are simply just guidelines, you should trail them out and see what works for you as everyone has individual preferences that bring them into complete zen.
Drink Two Litres of Water A Day
A very simple yet effective self-care habit you can implement right now is starting to drink 2 litres of water a day. Water is a natural way to flush your body of toxins, regulate body temperature, and most importantly improve the health of your skin and overall beauty. Have you ever felt unwell and drained, realised you have not drank any water for the day, and then finally had a glass and all the problems have disappeared? Drinking water is an effective habit to start implementing for your overall health, and if you want to also improve your skin’s appearance, drinking water is the perfect self-care habit.
Get Fresh Air In The AM
If life for you feels like a constant race and you are always on the go, you might want to look at how your mornings start. If from the minute you wake up you are in a rush, panicking to get to your job or manage your children, your brain will instantly be in stress and survival mode. This will set the foundation for the rest of the day. If you are hoping to implement self-care into your mornings, consider getting fresh air within the first 30 minutes of waking up. Fresh air is a great way to wake yourself up and begin your day, especially if there is sunlight. Sunlight is great but only in small doses, too much sun exposure can lead to heat stroke or sun damage, so if you are in a hotter country you may just consider opening the windows or sitting in your garden with the morning coffee. Allowing yourself to have at least 10 minutes of peace in the outdoors before you maybe wake the kids up, or perhaps you wake up slightly earlier than usual, you will thank yourself when you’re in that moment enjoying your own company. This is especially important if you live in a city where you will be in the hustle and bustle all day, so perhaps go for a nice jog across the London parks or down the canals in Manchester to really start your day off right.
Journal Your Anxieties
Writing down your thoughts and feelings that are depleting you or making you think less of yourself is another good self-care habit to implement. Journaling essentially lets your mind be clear from the ruminating thoughts that might consume you. You don’t have to write an entire essay, but keep in mind that whatever you write down is only for you to see, therefore word it however you deem fit and acknowledge any weight that has been lifted off your shoulders. You might set your journaling time for the end of the day when all tasks of the day are complete and you are getting ready for bed. Start with a few notes a night, and see where it takes you.
Set Boundaries
If you allow your friends, family, and colleagues to rely on you for a lot of things, it is understandable if you are starting to feel overwhelmed. Self-care is about setting personal boundaries not just for yourself, but others around you also. If you are busy with your personal affairs when someone asks you to make time for them, be selfish and stay strong. You should start putting yourself first as that is a form of self-care. Your mental health and well-being should come before what others expect of you, so agree with yourself to set more boundaries and take charge of how your days will be spent.
Dress To Impress Yourself
This might not be for everyone, but for some people, a form of self-care is looking good because if they look beautiful they feel beautiful. This may of course feel superficial, but it can be an effective self-care technique working on your appearance. Many women’s monthly self-care routines include getting their hair, nails, and eyebrows done, including new wardrobes. Don’t underestimate the power of retail therapy, because there’s nothing like spending on brand-new heels, some corset tops, and a fresh set of nails. Try this genre of self-care if you are doing it for your personal approval, you should never try to change yourself for others’ approval. Also you should only consider trying this out if you have the disposable income to do so. Constantly shopping to solve your issues is not a long term solution, so maybe allow yourself some treats now and then. Material things will not matter in the long term, how you work on yourself from within will manifest into your overall happiness in the long and short term.
Have A Technology Cleanse
A hard pill to swallow is the realisation that you spend too much time on your phone. Spending too much time on your phone can have a really negative effect on your mental health, and coming to terms with the fact that you might need to spend some time away from your phone is self care in itself. A lot of us spend a lot of time sharing things on social media, but not enough time sharing how they feel with themselves. Social media is an easy escape from your problems, so begin with swapping out your phone time with a different activity that will benefit your mental health such as going to the gym, or reading.