Self-care is essential for long term happiness. It’s about looking after yourself and appreciating you for the person you are.
“Taking care of yourself makes you stronger for everyone in your life, including you”, Kelly Rudolph, NLP Practitioner and Life coach.
Wintertime is a good time for really nurturing ourselves. As we spend more time indoors (for those of us in the UK) it can me a great opportunity to really give ourselves time to relax and recharge. Now that the festive season is well behind us we can perhaps enjoy living life a little slower.
Living life and taking things slowly can bring with it lots self-care. With Spring around the corner, our lives may begin to get busier again, so it’s important that we live a way that 'really' works for each of us.
As Deepak Chopra said, “In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you”.
Holidays are great for giving us a chance to escape and recharge our batteries, but you may not have the opportunity be able to go away. So, it’s what you do on a daily and weekly basis to keep you re-charged and nourished that will really help you feel your best in the long term. Like many, this may be a work in progress and even if you manage to eat well and exercise it may sometimes be a challenge to do extra things that feed your soul.
In my experience the key is to find small achievable things that you can incorporate easily into your day without it adding to your stress levels or to-do list!
So, ask yourself …
What is something that really brings a smile to your face?
What does your ideal day off look like?
What do you look forward to doing on holiday?
My 5 TOP TIPS for self-care in your life
Get out into nature. Just a 20min walk outdoors, and you will feel calmer, happier and the natural sunlight will help your sleep patterns too
Laugh more! Laughing is such a good way to combat stress by releasing ‘happy chemicals’ dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins. Whether it’s getting together with friends, watching your favourite comedian or simply being a bit silly, laughing is great therapy
Use a diffuser with essential oils - there are so many wonderful oils to help promote relaxation, reduce anxiety and support sleep. As well as using in the daytime, you can put it your bedroom 2hrs before going to sleep
Schedule some time in your diary each week for some ‘me-time’. If you make an appointment with yourself you have more chance of this happening without life getting in the way. This could be catching up with friends, reading, having a long bath, just something that is for ‘you’
Put your phone away at a set time each evening. Why not aim to turn off your phone and SM by 8.30pm, and make this non-negotiable? It’s so important to manage the time you spend on your phone and devices. It is impossible to switch off and manage stress when we are constantly taking in information
When we value and look after ourselves we are more likely to make healthier food and life choices and gain long-term health and happiness.
Get in touch and see how I can help and support you to you live your very best life.