How mindful self-care can help improve our overall wellbeing.
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL SELF-CARE DAY
International Self-care Day, celebrated on the 24th July, highlights the importance of self-care as the cornerstone of the health and wellbeing. On this day, people throughout the world are encouraged to make self-care a part of their everyday routines and turn it into a priority. International Self-care Day is an opportunity to raise further awareness of the benefits of taking the time to look after both mental and physical health.
What does ‘self-care’ mean and how can it help?
Some people do not fully understand what self-care means, mainly because of social media creating a perception that self-care is just all about bubble baths, trips to a SPA, luxury skincare products, and shopping sprees. However, real self-care is about taking time for yourself to help you protect, maintain and improve your physical, emotional, social and mental wellbeing. It’s about learning what nourishes your mind, spirit, and body, and understanding what you need so you can care for yourself. The important thing with self-care is not what it looks like, but what it does for you and how it makes you feel.
Self-care is different for everyone and what works for one person might not work for someone else. For example, you may feel energised after an intense workout, while someone else may prefer to meditate or listen to a podcast instead. Self-care is really about finding what works for you. It’s fine to try different things until you find what you like and what is beneficial for your wellbeing. Various forms of self-care involve different activities or actions that will help you feel positive, focused, and present.
“Our aim is to further the reach of self care and embed it into everyone’s everyday life making it a life-long habit and culture. We want people to instinctively understand how to look after their own physical health and mental wellbeing. Self care is nothing less than actions to lead to a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life.”
- Dr Pete Smith, Co-chair of Self Care Forum
Taking the time for self-care is incredibly important, as it has many benefits for your mind. It can help you to reduce stress, fight fatigue, prevent you from burnout, refresh your brain, boost your mood and increase productivity. Give yourself opportunities for relaxation and stress relief throughout your day. Take a moment to pause. Whether you only have five minutes in between meetings, half an hour after your children go down for a nap, a whole evening to yourself, or a weekend that you’re looking to make the most of. Treat yourself whenever you need to and do things that you enjoy the most. Taking care of your physical health is also a form of self-care that can help improve quality of life and prevent or manage chronic conditions.
Do you practice self-care?
Yes, self-care is an essential part of my life
I try to but it's difficult to find time to do it
No, I don't think that self-care is important
25 Self-care ideas to get you started
Grab a camera and snap some photos. You could for example set yourself a challenge of finding something beginning with the first letter of the alphabet.
Cook your favourite meal. Or perhaps experiment in the kitchen and try some new recipes? Cooking a new dish involves mindfulness, creativity, and a tangible sense of achievement.
Declutter your home. Schedule in some time to declutter a desk, drawer, corner or whole room. Decluttering can have a really positive effect on the way you feel about your home and life in general. If your home is cluttered and crowded, it can be difficult for you to feel calm and comfortable.
Catch up on podcasts you love. Put a podcast on your phone and enjoy it while you’re ticking off another self care activity like a lunchtime walk.
Go for a nature walk and spot some wildlife. The Wildlife Trust has over 2,300 nature reserves across the UK and nearly all of them are free to enter.
Visit a National Park or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and spend time in nature. There are 15 National Parks in the UK containing some of the most iconic landscapes, while 46 AONBs have some of the UK’s best countryside for walking, cycling, kayaking, and horse riding.
Head to a local forest for a relaxing day out– you can find them on Woodland Trust and Forestry England websites. You may even want to try Forest yoga: 20 minute guided class to help you feel uplifted and reconnect with your environment. You could also take some quiet time to reflect in natural surroundings using all your senses to help you find a feeling of calm and joy. Watch this Mindfulness in Nature: Using Animal Senses video to learn how you can engage all your senses when experiencing the natural world through mindfulness.
Organise a picnic. It will not only get you out into nature, but also provide opportunities to build social interactions or enhance meditation and reflection.
Immerse yourself in human history, art and culture - explore some museums and galleries, from ancient history to modern art. There are plenty of free museums and attractions in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Try mindfulness meditation. Having some time to simply sit in meditation can help you clear your mind and re-connect with the present.
Organise a movie marathon. Perhaps there are some movies that you always wanted to see but never got round to? Get your snacks and beverages ready to go!
Work in your garden. Gardening can include a range of activities, which suit all needs and skill levels in enjoyable and meaningful ways. Watching your plants, herbs or vegetables grow in your garden can bring you a sense of enjoyment and accomplishment.
Visit a heritage site and discover something new. English Heritage cares for over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places in England, while National Trust, as Europe’s largest conservation charity, has more than 500 places around England, Wales, and Northern Ireland that you could visit. If you are based in Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland and The National Trust for Scotland have plenty of places available for exploring.
Play some brain-training games to challenge yourself and keep your mind sharp. Try things like Sudoku, crosswords, word-search, mazes, spot the difference, odd-one-out, word scramble, or missing words games.
Have you ever wanted to learn a new language? Sign up to a course or use some free apps to do this. Knowing a foreign language is a confidence-builder and can give you a sense of achievement.
Start regular exercise to see positive effects both on your body and mind. From running, swimming, cycling, and aerobics to squash, basketball, chair yoga, martial arts, and other physical activities, there's plenty to choose from!
Keep hydrated - start the day with a glass of water and set your own goals of how much you want to drink in a day and aim to reach that goal.
Follow a well-balanced diet to keep your energy levels up, boost your mood and improve your general wellbeing. You can start gradually by choosing wholegrain or wholemeal varieties of starchy foods, swapping for low-fat diary products, reducing salt intake, limiting processed food, or getting your 5-a-day.
Drift off into a peaceful sleep. Make sure that your sleep space is tidy and don’t use the phone at least an hour before sleep. Instead have a cup of chamomile tea and read a chapter of a book or listen to some soothing music. You can also try a lavender pillow spray and an eye mask to help you get a better sleep.
Create a photo collage of your favourite memories. Go through your photos and pick out some that evoke happy emotions and remind you of special moments in your life. These could be different places, objects, or people.
Buy yourself flowers. How often have you passed a flower display in a store and stopped to admire the flowers for sale? Pick a bunch that makes you smile and just simply buy it!
Do you enjoy trying different things and being around other people? Head out to food and drink, arts and literature, music and other fun events and festivals. There are plenty to choose from in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Unfollow toxic people on social media. Get rid of all accounts that bring you down or simply don't bring any enjoyment. You'll feel much lighter and feel that the time you spend on social media is much more mood-lifting.
Start a gratitude journal. Take a few minutes at the end of each day to think about what you are grateful for and write them down. This could be a person, something that has happened at work, or anything else that comes to your mind. At the end of each week, read through your journal and remind yourself what you have been grateful for recently. This practice will help you think positively in your everyday life, reduce your levels of stress, increase happiness, as well as improve your self-esteem. You could also practice gratitude with some journaling apps such as Presently: A Gratitude Journal or create a ‘gratitude jar’.
Do something creative. Lose yourself in drawing, painting, writing a poem or a book. You may also want to join pottery or sculpture classes.
Practicing self-care isn’t always easy. Many of us are very busy at home and work, or are too consumed with technology to focus on ourselves and our needs. However, you should remember that there’s nothing more important than taking time to care for the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your life.
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