Top 5 Tips For Self Care
What does ‘self care’ mean for you? Is it something we do on the odd occasion? A product we buy? A yearly trip to the spa? Or is it something deeper that we should make part of our daily life? I always used to view caring for myself as something that was selfish, a luxury as opposed to a necessity. As a mother of three children I have spent a lot of time thinking about recently. Having “me time” when I’m working, juggling the needs of the kids and family is something that had been put on the back burner. However, as I have got older, and I hope a little wiser, I have realised that self care is something of vital importance. If we give to the world from a near exhausted vessel we give from a place of lack and sooner of later we’ll find this unsustainable. Something will give, it might be our health, relationships – but we can only give what we’ve got. I believe the energy we put out in the world is the energy we get back. So making time to feel good yourself will allow more positive energy into your life. After all, I life is a gift that we should want to live to the fullest.
Here are 5 tips for self care:
Relax - “Stop doing and start being” We all spend so much time being busy, whether it’s cleaning the house, social media, kids or work. It’s important to have time to switch off and really relax, which means to become still, calm and present in your being. My favourite way to relax is having a massage, going for a walk or taking a moment to lay in the sun.
Laughter - “ Fill your day with joy and laughter” The more we can laugh at ourselves and at life the easier it gets. Laughter is a great medicine for all that ails, and even if you’re not really in the mood to laugh start laughing and you will find that before long it become real laughter. The body can’t tell the difference between the fake and the real and the laughter releases endorphins in the brain to help you feel relaxed and happy.
Find Your Joy – “Do what brings you joy” It’s not rocket science that doing things that make you happy will lead you to be healthier. We all feel better when we are filling our life with joy. So get out and dance, spend time with friends and try out new things. I’ve recently created a mood board with images that make me feel happy. It’s a great thing to do, so when you are not feeling joy you can look at it and feel refreshed.
Nourish - “Nourish yourself with great food and say thank you” When we look at self care a big part of feeling good is your nutrient levels. If we are nutritionally deficient we will run out of energy. When we are feeling low we often turn to food to comfort us and make us feel good but it’s quite often the wrong foods that we turn to - full of refined sugar and bad fats. Filling yourself with delicious, healthy food can fill the same comforting spot but without the negative effects on our health.
Move - “Move your body joyfully every day” When our body is stiff and achy it’s hard to feel good. Moving your body every day is so important for health and wellbeing. This can be having a walk, doing some daily stretches, swimming, dancing or simply shaking your body.
If you’d like to explore more about Self Care I am running a 4 week on-line course all about it starting on Monday 17 th September with a one day workshop on 29 th September.
To book click here https://www.juliettebryant.com/events/self-care-4-week-online-course
