Self-Care

It’s being said that self-care has become so integral to people’s lives recently that it is one of the fastest growing ‘industries’ of our times. This idea both reassures and unsettles me somewhat. I am reassured that we are finally giving self-care the importance it deserves, but I am unsettled at the notion of it taking ‘industrial’ proportions. The lives we lead are undeniably hectic; most of our waking hours are accounted for. Could this be why we feel that self-care is something we need to out-source or buy? There is something be said for simplifying our approach to self-care and returning to some basic concepts that will allow us to prioritise our own well-being, health and happiness. I am not denying that the occasional indulgence on a new gym membership, the latest new meditation app or a luxurious spa day is sometimes in order; what I am saying is that there are things we can do in our everyday lives that will ensure we are taking good care of ourselves. Here are some ideas you can use straight away:

1. Think carefully about the company you keep. Part of well-being is to surround yourself with positive, kind, compassionate people who make you feel better about life. Chances are such people have a fantastic sense of humour and laughter is ever so good for us!
2. There is very little in life that is worth compromising a good night’s sleep for. Even if you feel you have the stamina to stay up late, getting solid sleep at night will ensure that your day goes well.
3. Mindfulness – a lot has been said and written about mindfulness and contrary to popular belief you don’t need to subscribe to expensive apps to practise this. Find a few minutes each day try to enjoy some calming music in the background while you shut your eyes and try to stay in the present moment. Mindfulness also focuses on slow, deep breathing which does wonders to calm the mind and body down.
4. Exercising in the open air, be it a HIIT workout, a leisurely walk, yoga or a run, has proven benefits for our well-being. Try showing yourself some self-care by doing some sort of exercise in the open air each day.

I hope that this term you will spend time focusing on yourselves and sharing the importance of self-care with those around you. In these challenging and unprecedented times particularly, we owe it to ourselves to be kind to ourselves.