You see the term self-care everywhere, all over the internet, on TV, in shops. But self-care can mean so many different things; I thought I’d make a list of what self-care is to me. What self-care means be to you could be totally different; that’s the beauty of it …everyone’s idea of it is slightly different. My definition of self-care is doing what makes me feel good. Here are a few things that make me feel good:
- Socialising
Seeing my friends and family makes me very happy. It’s proven that socialising with other people is beneficial. The saying goes, ‘laughter is the best medicine!’. Obviously, socialising has been done differently in the past year due to coronavirus, but hopefully, socialising will become easier very soon, we hope!
- Cleaning
A clear space – a clear mind. Once I have tidied my space, I feel ready to chill out. I also find cleaning quite therapeutic. It’s actually classed as mindfulness and is a source of natural endorphins! According to research, people find it so relaxing because of its repetitive motions, e.g. sweeping or scrubbing.
- Eating well
I do try and keep to a good diet! But I also listen to my body; if it’s craving something less healthy, I’ll treat myself. Healthy food to keep my diet in check and treats make me happy. A balanced diet …in my own way!
- Physical exercise
This is something I’ve only picked up again recently. During a lockdown, I completely lost the motivation to do any physical exercise and to be honest, I completely forgot about how good it made me feel. It could be as simple as going for a walk with a friend or a full-blown session at the gym (now they’re open!). I find any sort of exercise really beneficial – it’s also a natural release of serotonin!
- Relaxing
‘Relaxing’ sounds a bit vague. Relaxing to me can be a number of things. Each day I take a few moments out to do some mindfulness through an app, have a bath, do a face mask, watch some tv, chill out with my animals. Just switch off from any stress of the day and do something calming and enjoyable.
We are all living such busy lives, which makes it even more important to try to do at least one self-care thing a day. More if I can! Why don’t you think about what you class as self-care and try and incorporate it into your everyday life – see how many benefits you feel after a week or so! I’ve not looked back.