Self-care is important, and you need to make sure you do enough of it every day. If you think about a battery that needs charging up all of the time, so do you! Taking time to care for yourself isn’t always easy, especially when the weather outside is dreary. But the good news is that March (and Spring) is here – days are starting to get lighter which always helps my mood.
We all have busy lives, and we are always working. Or we have children keeping us busy and demanding our attention. Although we really would love an hour to ourselves, it isn’t possible all of the time. So here are some ideas to help you snatch a few minutes to yourself to help you relax and feel better.
15 minute Self Care Ideas
Get up and dance to one of your favourite songs. Sing it from the top of your voice and put everything into it. Even if there are other people there with you. Be free and let everything go, you’ll feel so much better for it.
Try some calming breathing techniques. Close your mind off and breathe in, then count to 5. Then breathe out for 5 counts. Do this a few times and it will help you clear your mind and you will feel less stressed. You can do this anywhere and at any time that you feel you need some self-care.
Take a shower, when it is hot enough drop a few drops of some aromatherapy oils onto the floor. Then the hot water will make the aromatherapy fragrance envelope your body. Lavender is good to help you relax. Peppermint is great for an uplifting smell.
Go into your garden or onto your balcony, breathe in the fresh air and appreciate what you have around you. Feel the grass between your toes. Do a five-minute meditation out there if you can. Relax and pay attention to your breathing, do you feel relaxed and your mind switches off? Sometimes you just need to do this to get some time on your own.
Read a book, it takes you away to another world for a few minutes. You only need to read a few pages to be transported away from where you are. Keep the book close to you, so you can pick it up and read it when you are ready. Reading a book takes you away from being a mum, a colleague or another side of you for a few minutes.
30 minute Self Care Ideas
Take a nap in the day if you are tired. Stress can make you really tired make you worry. So switch your phone to aeroplane mode, grab a comfy blanket and snuggle up for a nap on a comfortable bed. 20 minutes should be enough time, just don’t sleep for too long otherwise you will feel worse for it! If you find your bed isn’t as comfortable as it used to be consider looking at getting a new mattress to help you drift off.
Take a long and relaxing bubble bath with aromatherapy oils. The oils will help you feel so much better, but make sure you choose the right oils. Lavender is relaxing, Mandarin and peppermint are great to make you feel better. And lemon is refreshing to make you feel better. Switch your phone off, close your eyes for a couple of minutes and listen to some music that you like.
Have a manicure, you can do this yourself. Wash your hands, and clean your nails with a nailbrush. Use a cuticle cream and push your cuticles back. Paint your nails, using a basecoat first. Then when you have painted your nails, finish off with a top coat and some cuticle oil.
Go for a walk, take in how beautiful the outside is. Say hello to everyone who passes by. If you go for a walk early in the morning, people seem to have more time to say hello. Getting out and being sociable is so good for your mental health as well as getting some exercise.
Keep a journal. You can write all of the nice things that you have done over the past 24 hours. All of those positive things might seem small and insignificant on their own. But seeing them in a journal makes you realise that all of those positives are absolutely huge.
And…Arrange regular healthcare appointments
You might think that visiting your healthcare professionals when nothing is wrong might be a waste of time (and money) but many health concerns can appear as if from nowhere when they could have been prevented by just seeing someone on a regular basis for checkups. Be sure to see your Dentist at least once every 6 months to make sure any dental issues are discovered early, see an Osteopath if you start to feel any aches or pains in your back, muscles, or joints.
