Practising self-care is so important, and although I may be hypocritical in saying it, it’s vital to take some time out of your day to look after yourself, mind, body and soul to prevent crashing and burning. According to the International Self-Care Foundation ‘Self-Care is what people do for themselves to establish and maintain health, and to prevent and deal with illness. It is a broad concept encompassing hygiene (general and personal), nutrition (type and quality of food eaten), lifestyle (sporting activities, leisure etc), environmental factors (living conditions, social habits, etc.) socio-economic factors (income level, cultural beliefs, etc.) and self-medication.’
It’s vital to make time for it, and it should never make you feel guilty. Obviously, it’s a completely personal thing, but here are some ways that I like to practice self-care.
Take 5 minutes.
Take 5 minutes each evening to relax, and pamper yourself however you like. Whether it’s through a facial, painting your nails or moisturising your body, it’s amazing how these little things can make you feel a whole lot better about yourself. Currently, I’ve been loving whitening my teeth with the Pearl Drops Pure White Kit, which not only gives me a glowing grin, but also helps me feel that bit more confident too.
Get enough sleep.
We all know how important sleep is, but how many of us don’t actually get enough of it. (sheepishly raises hand). It’s all too tempting to try and stay up late getting work done but after a while it just becomes counterproductive. Turn off your phone, go to bed and I guarantee your body will thank you for it in the morning.
Keep the area around you tidy.
This is a personal one for me, but the old adage, ‘tidy house, tidy mind’ really is true. I always feel so much more relaxed and productive when the area around me is ordered and my room isn’t filled with clutter. Although you may not know it at the moment …
Tick something off your to-do list.
I’m a pretty bad procrastinator and will tend to put things off until they absolutely ‘have’ to be done. It’s such a great feeling not to have to have things nagging at the back of your mind and 9 times out of 10 it’ll take less than 5 minutes to do anyway.
Treat yo’self (or someone else)
It always makes you feel good to do something nice for someone else, even if it’s as simple as paying a compliment. Don’t forget it’s okay to treat yourself sometimes too though … you deserve it. Whether it’s buying that lipstick that you’ve lusted after for ages or having a nice bubble bath, the little things can make all the difference to your mood.
