I care about self-care, do you?

When life gets overwhelming, the last thing we want to do is take time out of our busy schedule as this might just leave us in deeper waters.

But aren’t we missing the point?

We so easily get lost in workload, expectations (internal and external demands), the need to be perfect, the fear of failure, family responsibilities and the perception that we are abandoning our family or other responsibilities that we do not allow for actual rest and time to process, leaving us feeling more burnt out than we would if we took that 10-15min to ourselves.

I recently saw an image asking if you would let the battery of your phone run out? I bet not! Most of us need it survive our day. So now the question, why do we let that happen to us? You cannot do what you need to do if your body is not physically and/or mentally healthy and restored. The more we prioritise self-care, the better we can recharge which enables us to give more of ourselves in our daily routine and to the ones we love.

So here are some self-care activities to try:

Setting boundaries (personal limits or rules) and being OK with saying no if you do not have the capacity to take more on
Taking a 5min mental break and just being still (if this means you need to get up and make some tea or coffee and disappear to a quieter place – do so)

Exercise (this can be formal exercise at the gym or home; taking the stairs rather than the elevator; stopping as far as possible from the door and walking the extra little bit to clear your mind)
Spend time in nature (go hiking, take a walk, gardening or even just smelling the flowers)
Read a chapter of your favourite book (yes, a chapter, if you have capacity for more – you are most welcome)
Nap if you can (listen to the cues your body sends)
Research something you have always wanted to know more about
Take a new route to work (change things up)