Having this break from work has been so beneficial to my mental health. I now know that putting time aside for self care is essential for me, I now try and do at least one of the below activities every day and it’s already starting to pay off, I feel happier than I have in a long time.
1. A nice soak in the bath. I have some lovely smelling bubbles & light some candles. I do a hair mask, a face scrub and put the iPad on the bath caddy playing real housewives. I’ve also recently bought myself a bath pillow.
2. Read. I love putting my dressing gown on, getting a cup of tea (my friend Rachel has got me into the Twining blends, my current fave is the lemon, ginger & turmeric) and curling up in my chair with a book.
3. Having a massage. 1 whole hour of pure bliss! I try to have one at least every couple of months. It costs less than a night out and is much better for me. I’m very lucky to have a masseuse living in the next street who works from home, that way there is no driving to stress me out after.
4. Catching with friends. I am so fortunate to have such good friends, some I see all the time and others I see once or twice a year, I always feel so grateful and happy after spending time with them and it’s like a therapy session. I saw my best friend Natalie the other day and we talked about some really depressing topics but it didn’t feel depressing at all!
5. Law of attraction. I love reading about it, doing vision boards, manifesting, goal setting, it’s so good for my mindset and gives me focus. I am just in the process of changing my spare room to a writing room, which has been on my vision board for a while, so I will be updating my vision board and adding that to the wall in there.
6. Counselling sessions. This is by far the best thing I have ever done for myself. I honestly think everyone should try therapy, I have learnt so much and still continue to learn. I am currently it a huge phase of self reflection, which is really eye opening.
7. Walking. I’ll admit I don’t do this as much as I should or could but it’s so good for clearing the mind, I try to go for a walk if I’m pissed off, as I am quite a hot head, I find it helps me process my anger and realise where it’s coming from. Other times I’ll just listen to an audiobook or podcast and get some fresh air.
8. Journalling. My friend Krissy bought me a 5 year diary a few years back and I have been really good at filling it in this year, I’ve also discovered recently that if something is bothering me, I open up my notes app and just brain dump, I note my thoughts, feelings and how my body feels, then over the following days I will reread it and because I am in a different emotional state it’s like looking in from someone else’s perspective. It’s really insightful.
9. Gratitude. I try to list 3 things each morning and each evening. It’s especially good when you’ve had a crappy day and realising there are always things to be grateful for. Now if something happens during the day, I will make a mental note to add it to my gratitude list, I am noticing more things each day to be thankful for.
10. Saying No. This one is probably the most important of all. I am terrible for saying yes to everything. Now I am getting into the habit saying no to more things or if I am unsure, I’ll be honest and say that I can’t commit right now, I will have to let you know. This takes the pressure off and I can then decide nearer the time if I am in the right frame of mind, which is much better than wasting time dreading something or even worse cancelling last minute, which really stresses me out.
What are your go to self care activities?
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