Prioritising yourself through self-care is vital to look after your physical and mental wellbeing. There are several ways you can achieve effective self-care including:
- Increasing daily activity and trying different exercises, such as walking, stretching, cardio etc. Find activities that work for you and ones you enjoy.
- Spending time with loved ones such as friends and family and doing things socially.
- Checking in with your mental health and keeping a note of any warning signs or triggers and how you overcame them.
- Being kind to yourself and doing things you enjoy.
- Seeking help from a professional when needed.
- Setting boundaries for yourself and don’t be afraid to say “no” when needed.
- Developing healthy habits – healthy, balanced diet, increased exercise, cooking, drinking more water and improving your sleep quality.
By taking care of yourself, you will be able to increase your resilience and improve stress management as well as benefiting from increased energy levels and reduced risk of illness and poor mental health.
Although self-care is straightforward, it is not always easy to implement – some people have difficulty putting themselves first and would rather focus on other things or people. We also have to consider that poor mental health, such as depression, makes it difficult to put the above in place. That is why we always emphasise the importance of talking about mental health and wellbeing and getting help when needed, so please speak to someone you trust if you are struggling.
For further reading on self-care techniques, please see: Mind
