It is so important to take care of your wellbeing and self-care should be practiced with everyone. Wondering what self care is? As defined by the NHS, self-care is “about keeping fit and healthy, understanding when you can look after yourself, when a pharmacist can help, and when to get advice from your GP or another health professional”. It’s obvious that we need to take care of ourselves, but surprisingly so many people are bad at doing and recognising it. Whether this be taking up a hobby like playing slots at 666Casino or going for a weekly run. It’s very important that we all take time for ourselves and focus on both our physical and mental wellbeing, especially in times we need it the most.
For many people, self-care comes and goes and it’s quite easy to forget. You might get into a routine of putting a facemask on every Sunday night and watching a film, but one Sunday your busy with work and don’t pick it up again. You instead overwork yourself and get stressed. This is when you need to recognise that you need some time to take care of yourself, to have a day off or an hour or two to relax and allow yourself to think. When we’re mentally in a dark place, we tend to “punish” ourselves more by not doing the things we enjoy as we feel we don’t deserve it. You need to try and get out of this cycle and focus on yourself.
For it to be effective, self-care should be practiced most, if not every day of the week. There shouldn’t be a single day that goes by without taking good care of yourself and putting your needs first – even if it’s just for 5 minutes. The smallest things like quietly reading a magazine with a warm mug of coffee can have the biggest impact and can be the breather in the day that you need. Things like this should be incorporated into your daily routine. Here are 7 things that you can do today to benefit your self-care and wellbeing.
1. Keep a gratitude diary
Go and treat yourself to a nice diary or notebook (the prettier the notebook the better). Every day, write down a list of all the things you are grateful for that day. This could be something small or big. If you haven’t done a lot with your day, think about the bigger things your grateful for like having a roof over your head, having a delicious meal for dinner or being able to see. If you find you have a negative mindset, keeping a gratitude diary will make you change your mindset into a healthier and happier one. It’s even more helpful on a bad day as it makes you reflect on all the good that has happened, rather than the bad.
2. Take care of my skin
Taking care of your skin is a simple and important part of self-care. This could be as simple as making sure that all of your make-up is off and that your skin is nice and clean before bed. Take a few minutes to massage your moisturiser into your face for a few minutes of relaxation. The massaging motion circulates the blood in your face which helps keep your skin clear. Another great thing to do a couple of times a week is to put on a facemask. There are so many great facemasks out there and they feel like such a luxurious treat for your skin.
3. Drink enough water
To feel fresh and energised throughout the day, make sure your drinking 7-8 glasses of water (and even more if you’re doing exercise). If you don’t like plain water, try putting fruit in an infused bottle or add a small amount of squash – you’ll stay hydrated and get the nutrients you need with a fruity taste this way!
4. Read
Whether you read a magazine, a few blog posts or your favourite book, it’s a great idea to read to wind down and relax. There are so many great books to read out there from horrors, to YA, fantasy, romance and sci-fi. Build a little cosy fort with pillows, cushions and cosy blankets, light a candle, grab a glass of red wine and escape into a magical world.
5. Come away from social media
Put your phone down and log out of social media. Social media is a huge distraction to our everyday life and we often find ourselves aimlessly scrolling and wasting time away. There’s also so much negativity on there and if you’re having an off day, scrolling through photos from people’s “perfect lives” is only going to make you feel worse. Try scheduling a few hours out of your day without social media to do other activities and focus on yourself.
6. Do something you enjoy
It’s important to do the things you enjoy often, the things that make you feel happy. This could be playing on the slots at 666 Casino, having a film night with your friends and ordering pizza or listening to music while dancing around your room. This could also be binge watching Youtube videos (falling down a conspiracy video hole), playing your favourite videogames or baking some chocolate chip cookies. It could also be something small like cooking your favourite breakfast, lighting a candle to make your room smell nice or sitting out in the garden. Even if it may feel unproductive, it’s important to take some time out to do the things you like.
9. Tidy up
A tidy house equals a tidy mind. One of the first things you should do in the morning (or before you go to bed) is make sure that your room is tidy, especially if you work from home. Having a messy home will make you feel lazy, less motivated and unproductive but having a tidy home will make you feel more creative, innovative and ready to achieve your goals. Tidying is also quite relaxing (if you haven’t got too much to do) and can be enjoyable, especially if you buy all the lovely scented cleaning products!