Self care is something i have recently become quite aware of and of its importance.
Life can be stressful and at times upsetting. Things out of your control, loosing a loved one and dealing with grief, relationship break ups, the pressure from work. Self care wont necessary fix these moments, but giving yourself a mental break will help.
These tips below have really helped me, so give them a try!
It has been a tough year, things out of my control have caused me and many to be stressed
Since then, I’ve started focusing more on self-care, something that’s always been challenging for me. I have always put the children first and stressed about so many things.
1 .Stop feeling guilty about “guilty pleasures”
First, stop calling them “guilty pleasures.” So what if you’re a 40ish-year-old woman who has watched The Twilight films over and over? Robert Pattinson is hot! Watch films or series that make you feel good over and over.
It is much better to spend your television viewing time watching things that make you happy. It is better than watching all the negative programs and new’s. Who needs to constantly watch the depressing news that is around us all the time?
>Chocolate and treats, they are not a guilty pleasure. There is new evidence that eating dark chocolate everyday can reduce stress. Eating treats that make you feel happy are always good. Just don’t eat treats 24/7. That will only make you feel sluggish.
2. Allow yourself one major indulgence a month
With money tighter than it’s ever been for nearly everyone right now, it’s hard to justify spending cash on “indulgences.” I’ve spent far to long worrying about finances and how to survive, and here’s a trick I learned- allow yourself one major indulgence a month. Now, by “major,” I don’t mean “blow your electric bill money on a sparkly new necklace.” Use common sense.
What ever your indulgence is, whether it is a coffee from Costa coffee, a piece of chocolate fudge cake from Marks and Spencer’s or even something to wear.
A little indulgence once a month is a great stress reliever and if it is only once a month the chances are it won’t break the bank.
3. Be positive
A couple of weeks ago, I realized that I complain a lot. Yeah, it took me 40+ years to come to this conclusion, but least I am acknowledging it now! Not everyone does. All of my complaints are totally valid, at least in my opinion.
Now i ensure that i say more nice things than complain about anything. It doesn’t matter who you say something nice to. Complimenting people and saying nice things actually makes you feel happier.
You still have every right to complain, just try and limit how much you do. I now say more of them in my head or if it is something personal then i have a chat to a good friend.
$. Give Social Media a good weeding
Social media can be a major source of anxiety for some, so I gave it a major culling. I got rid of some awful people that were basically strangers. People I friended back when I played certain games,do you remember Farmville on Facebook? that “friend of a friend of a friend,” and so on.
Instagram is the one that get’s me, so many peoples lives and home’s look perfect, you can see why these people are influencers as it makes my life want to be like that. Financially not viable and not driving makes many things more challenging. The nice days they go out on, the nice clothes and perfect families. It definitely makes you compare, i don’t spend as much time on there now because of that. By doing so i have given myself a mental break.
5. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself to be productive
Now the children are back at school i feel that i should be productive every waking minuet. The pressure i put on myself was unhealthy. It certainly didn’t help when people say.. oh you can get so much more done now they are at school.
Someone once said to me that you say you don’t have time to do something , well you have plenty of time now. This was during lockdown, while i was home schooling! So yes, i didn’t get time to pursue hobbies.
Look, just because you’re spending more time at home doesn’t mean you’re lazy if you don’t declutter your whole house, write that epic novel, or even clean out your email inbox. It’s perfectly okay to spend exactly as much time as you have to being just productive enough to keep a roof over your head, then spend the rest of the time ensuring you are happy and be less stressed.
Saying that 2020 has been rough so far is the understatement , and it’s not over yet. If you don’t take the time to give yourself a mental break now, trust me, your mind will do it for you later. Be kind to yourself, be kind to others. Give yourself a mental break and find you happy place.
