Self-care… it’s something we all know we should be doing, but we don’t.
Between school runs, working, running a home and sleeping I don’t have much time for myself. I’ve come to realise lately that self-care doesn’t have to be big things – sure, a spa break would be fab, but really, it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.
There are so many ways you can make time for YOU.
I’ve compiled a list of self-care ideas below and I’m 99.9% sure that you’ll be able manage some of these, no matter how busy you are.
- Read a chapter of a book a day.
- Take five minutes to paint your nails.
- Run yourself a hot bubbly bath.
- Light some candles and watch your favourite film.
- Nap – even if it’s just for ten minutes.
- Go for a walk.
- Call a friend for an overdue catch up.
- Meet a friend for a coffee.
- Get your hair done.
- Put on a face mask.
- Put down the apron – order in a takeaway.
- Turn off your alarms at the weekend – stay in bed as late as you like.
- Buy yourself a beautiful bunch of flowers.
- Sit in the garden with a hot cup of tea and enjoy the peace and quiet.
- Make sure you apply make up every day – even if it’s just a bit of lipstick – it WILL make you feel better.
- Make plans – even if it’s for the house or the kids, make time to plan – organise your life.
- Cry if you need to – let it out.
- Bake a cake.
- Take up a hobby such as knitting or painting.
- Go for a run.
- Write – I find writing incredibly therapeutic.
- Make a to-do list – it’s so satisfying ticking things off!
- Turn off the lights, shut the curtains, light a candle and listen to your favourite music.
- Go to the beach, not to play or paddle, just to walk along the seafront.
- Turn the music up loud and dance away.
- Watch a comedy.
- Stay in your pyjamas all day.
- Declutter your social media – who needs negative people?
- Declutter your home – my declutter challenge will help!
- Practice some basic yoga poses.
- Look through old family photos.
- Pour yourself a glass of wine.
- Listen to a podcast – I love Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast series.
- Do a crossword.
- Practice mindfulness.
- Write a letter to yourself to look back on in years to come – talk about whatever comes to mind.
- Keep a diary.
- Eat cake.
- Trying to be healthy? Make a fruit salad and don’t share it with the kids!
- Sing your heart out.
- Colour – adult colouring books like this one can be incredibly calming for the mind.
Try it – I promise you’ll reap the benefits.
You can’t pour from an empty glass. We often find ourselves running on auto-pilot to get through the day. Doing just one of the above activities daily can make a huge difference to your mental health.
This blog post was originally published on justthethreeofus.co.uk and has been republished with the permission of the author, Chloe Wood.
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Chloe Wood is a 25 year old mother, blogger and vlogger with an insatiable love for coffee and mini rolls. She runs Just The Three Of Us, a parenting, lifestyle and health blog which documents the highs and lows of motherhood and mental health. Chloe and her family invite you to come and join the chaos.
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