It’s Self Care Week 2018 and if you’re anything like us, ‘self care’ involves throwing a ready meal in the oven at 8.45pm and slumping in front of Keeping Up With The Kardashians repeats. When you’re busy (and especially in the run-up to party season!), self care often falls to the bottom of the list.
So how do you squeeze self care into a jam-packed schedule? It’s not just a case of the odd bubble bath and a relaxation playlist for the daily commute. Acts of self care can take many forms, from big gestures to small, everyday changes. Here are some simple ways to incorporate self care into your life – choose the ones that work for you and give them a try this Self Care Week.
Overhaul your Instagram feed
Social media is a source of stress for many of us – all those picture perfect lives, people jetting off on luxury holidays and relaxing in beautiful surroundings while we cram onto the train and stand up the entire journey. But Instagram can be inspiring, though-provoking and enjoyable – if you’re following the right people. Have a cull of your feed and get rid of the accounts that make you feel less than, replacing them with more realistic representations, feeds that share poetry, or just cute dogs.
Give work your full focus
Self care is often about ‘taking time out’ to meditate, go to the spa, have a holiday, etc. But not all of us are able to take time out of our busy schedules, and taking a day off just to relax can seem like a wild concept when your job is very full-on. So rather than berate yourself for being busy, try to fully immerse yourself in your work while you’re at your desk. Don’t keep shifting your focus by thinking about all the ‘relaxing’ things you should be doing, but commit your full self to your task, get it done quickly and efficiently, and enjoy the positive vibes that follow a job well done.
Commit to an evening skincare routine
If the extent of your skincare right now is a quick splash of water and a swipe with a face wipe, it’s time to rethink. Mornings are often rushed and hectic, so focus on your evening routine – as soon as you get in from work, go to the bathroom and spend 10 minutes cleansing your skin. Use products that smell delicious, give yourself a face massage, let the mirror steam up and luxuriate in the warmth. Your face will thank you and you’ll feel so much more relaxed, too.
Look from another perspective
If life is getting on top of you and you’re struggling to find time for yourself, it’s really easy to look inward and say ‘I’m doing this all wrong’. It’s not helpful, but it’s something we all do. One way to break this cycle of thinking is to look at your situation from an outside perspective – if a friend came to you with the same problems, what would you say to them? What advice would you give? Looking at your struggles from a distance can help you get a handle on them.
Celebrate the achievement of others
There’s nothing quite like the warm, fuzzy feeling you get from praising someone else for their hard work. Take a moment each day to text a ‘well done’ to a friend who just passed their driving test, to high five a colleague after a great meeting or to share a glass (or two) of bubbly with your partner to celebrate good news.
Write down your own compliments
As a population, we’re pretty bad at taking compliments – we brush them off or laugh them away, when really we should embrace and revel in them. Compliments make everyone feel great, and if we’re dishing them out (see above) we should be receiving them happily, too! Whenever you get a compliment – whether it’s on your work, your outfit or your excellent parking skills – write it in a notebook. When you’re having a bad day or a low moment, whip out the notebook and remind yourself that you’re amazing. It really works!
