Self-Care Ideas

Everyone gets stressed. Life is stressful. We have so many plans, projects, responsibilities and things to do that it can sometimes get overwhelming. In fact, there are so many things we feel like we need to do that they often take over our lives and we forget the thing that matters most: ourselves.

This is why you need to indulge in yourself every now and then. Self-care is so important for your health and wellbeing, yet it often goes ignored for the ‘bigger’ things.

Not only is self-care important for your mental health, it can also help you achieve your bigger goals. By looking after yourself, you will prepare yourself mentally and physically to take on your to-do list, and as it leaves you feeling refreshed, you will be much more likely to complete your everything that you set out to do.

Let’s take a look at some ways in which you can indulge yourself in some self-care.

List Things

There is something very therapeutic about writing things down. The act of moving things from your mind to paper to then save for later or screw up and throw away, is very calming. You could do this by keeping a diary so that you have somewhere to pour your feelings whenever they get too much, or by simply writing lists of things that you are thinking about. You could list things you need to do, things that are on your mind, things you want to focus on, people you want to talk to, ideas, random thoughts that pop into your head – anything. Sometimes our minds just need a good clear out, and writing things down is one way of doing that.

I keep a bullet journal that I work on every day. Not only does it help me focus my goals and plans for both the near and distant future, it allows me to declutter my mind and gives me a chance to exercise my creativity.

Creativity

Whether you are a creative person or not, taking a little time out of your day to do something creative will help you to no end. Creativity broadens your mind. My favourite thing to do is write stories, but I also enjoy making jewellery, art, baking, cooking, and photography. Finding a creative hobby will help you to both express yourself and relax.

Music

Sometimes when my mind is particularly noisy, it helps to simply put on a pair of headphones and turn up the music so loud that I can’t hear myself. Music is brilliant because it’s so diverse. If you need some positive energy, put on some feel-good music and dance your heart out. If you need to release some energy, throw on a ballad and sing until your lungs are sore. If you need to relax and unwind, slip on a gentle song or a peaceful playlist and ease yourself into a sense of rest.

I have so many playlists on Spotify, each for a different sort of feeling.

Exercise

Photo of my sister doing yoga at Whitby (@Pandaamber14)

I am really not an exercise person but even I know how good you can feel when you take the time to focus on your body every now and then.

I’ve been doing yoga on and off for several years now, but I’ve recently picked it back up again and I have completely fallen in love with it. I got inspired to start again when I stumbled upon some amazingly skilled yogis on Instagram. Of course, you don’t have to be anywhere near their level of ability to reap the benefits of yoga. It stretches out all of your muscles and focuses your mind, and whenever you finish a yoga session, you will always be left feeling refreshed and ready to take on whatever lies ahead of you.

I also enjoy going for walks around nice places when the weather’s good. Sometimes I even go running – not that I run very far. Even so, every time I return home from a run, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment and I feel energised and ready to take on the day. I like to do exercise straight after I wake up so that I don’t have any time to back out of it, and then it’s done and out of the way for the day. It might seem like a lot of effort before you do it, but trust me; when you finish a good workout, you will feel amazing.

Meditation

Meditation might not be everyone’s cup of tea. It wasn’t mine for a long time, but I’d read a lot about its benefits and rewards on the internet and I was curious. Then when I learned my boyfriend practises meditation, I decided to look into it and ended up getting the Headspace app on my phone. Headspace offers guided meditation and so far, I absolutely love it!

On the outside, sitting and thinking about nothing might seem like a waste of time but I’ve found that taking ten minutes out of my day to just breathe works some kind of magic. Sometimes I wake up with my mind whirling and all it takes is ten minutes of meditation to calm and refresh me. It’s a great way to start the day, and it’s a great way to end it too. If you ever find yourself struggling to fall asleep, a little bit of meditation can easily remedy the situation.

Meditation declutters your mind and helps you to focus on your body and soul, without all of the worries and stresses of life in your way. I highly recommend it.

Quiet Time

Even if you don’t want to give meditation a go, a little bit of peace and quiet goes a really long way. Turn off the TV and listen to the quiet that fills the room instead. Brew yourself a cup of tea and curl up with a good book. Sit outside in your garden and soak up the sun. Listen to the natural world around you and take it all in. Maybe go for a walk.

Just taking this little bit of time to yourself, to sit and think, will make you feel wonderful.

Other Self-Care Ideas

In case none of the above tickled your fancy, here is a list of self-care ideas for you to indulge in.

• Eat healthily – the way you eat can hugely impact how you feel.
• Eat unhealthily – tuck into your favourite bar of chocolate or cupcake for a boost of pure joy.
• Go for a walk somewhere new
• Have a picnic with your friends
• Indulge in a hot bubble bath
• Read a good book
• Have a hot chocolate on a cold day
• Have an ice cream on a hot day
• Listen to the rain
• Dance in your room as you get ready for the day
• Go on holiday
• Go for a day trip
• Go on a road trip
• Light a scented candle
• Turn off your alarm clock
• Talk to someone you love
• Have a good stretch
• Paint your nails
• Apply a face mask
• Use a colouring book
• Binge watch a TV series
• Write someone a letter even if you don’t send it
• Hug someone
• Enjoy the little things