Self care has become a hot topic over the last few years as people move through the stages of burnout or try to avoid it completely. But what can you do as part of your self care routine? More importantly, what are the self care tips that will change your life for the better?
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Drink a warm drink first thing in the morning
When you get out of bed, you feel sleepy. Your eyes are not the only part of your body that feels this way. Drinking something warm, such as a cup of hot water with a slice of lemon, can help wake up your digestive tract, kick start your metabolism, and can help reduce congestion in your chest and nose. Giving your day a kick start can help you deal with the stress and pressure that you will face. Of course, you can start your day with a cup of coffee, however, hot water will help hydrate your body.
Meditation
Anyone else have a brain that moves at fifty million miles an hour and doesn’t shut up? If you are a parent, especially a working parent, I’m sure you feel this way every day and it is exhausting! Taking time out of your day, even 15 minutes, to meditate can help ease your mental load. When I meditate, I have to do it at night because I tend to fall asleep. If calming your mind is something you struggle with, try a guided meditation. There are plenty of free options online to stream.
Write something
Journals and notepads are a great way to get your thoughts out of your head. Just think, 100 years ago, it was expected that you put your thoughts and feelings into writing. Dairies and journals from different time periods help historians make sense of the past. If you don’t like the idea of someone reading your inner most desires in the future, dot your thoughts down in a cheap notebook and burn them when they are full. The important thing is to get your thoughts out of your head.
Exercise
Hitting the gym isn’t the only way to exercise. If this is what you like to do, go for it! You have my blessing! However, if you are like me and don’t have time to hit the gym a few times a week, you need to get creative. I get my exercise a few different ways during the day. In the morning, I do around 20 to 30 minutes of yoga (YouTube can be your friend with yoga) or if I have a free day, I will head to my local yoga studio to take a class. I walk when I can instead of taking the car; this helps me to hit 10,000 steps per day. My new favourite thing is taking a walk an hour after I’ve eaten in the evening for around 20 minutes. This is great for your stomach and has been dubbed “the fart walk”.
Read more books
I love reading. I have always loved reading. And I will always love reading. Every night, I get into bed, open a book, and read for around 30 minutes to an hour. I’ve been doing this for a long time and one thing that has become clear is that I sleep better than a lot of my friends. It doesn’t matter what you read. I’ve read a few of the Discworld novels, best sellers, and non-fiction. If I’m having a hard time sleeping, I get a copy of an English grammar text book and I’m out like a light! Check out your local library if you aren’t sure where to start or don’t like the idea of handing over your hand earned cash for something you might hate.
Avoid social media
This point ties in with a few of the points I have made. Social media is awful. Recently, a lot of studies have come out about how social media is damaging our mental health. It’s time to be mindful about the time we spend online. If you find yourself doom scrolling all day, put your phone down and find something else to do. It can be anything! Meditate, read a book, do 20 push ups, clean the toilet. There is nothing wrong with popping on and staying in touch with your friends, just don’t go overboard.
Don’t use your phone before bed
If you are reading a book at bed time and avoiding social media, then there is no reason to be looking at your phone before bed. We have all been there, we say “I’ll have a quick check on TikTok before bed….” and the next thing we realise, it’s 3 am. When you get ready for bed, put your phone away. If you use your phone as an alarm for the morning, put it out of your reach. The light of our screens at bedtime can ruin our sleep patterns (which is why I prefer physical books over downloads). Remind yourself that bedtime is for sleeping, not seeing what the world is up to.
Eat healthy choices
Eating healthy food is one of the best self care tips that you can follow. Here is a fun fact, did you know that the bacteria in your gut can affect your mental health? If there was ever a reason to ditch unhealthy food, it is this. We all know that eating healthy food can help improve our overall health. At the end of the day, the food you eat is food for your body. Your body deserves the best that you can give it. If healthy eating is new to you, start out small with a favourite fruit or vegetable to snack on before adding more daring choices to your diet.
Cut down on your sugar intake
The food that we eat everyday is packed with hidden sugars. All you have to do is read the labels of your favourite foods to see how bad they are. If you want to try and cut down the sugar you are eating, the best place to start is with prepackaged food. Ready meals have a huge amount of hidden sugars (just read the labels). It might take some time to ditch sugar because it is addictive but your body will thank you for it.