As we all lead busy lives it sometimes seems hard to make time for ourselves and really look after our wellbeing.
Being a one woman band I have definitely found it a struggle to switch off from my work and just do things for me. At the end of last year I realised that this really wasn't good, as my anxiety levels started to rise and I really wasn't appreciating the positives.
So my mission for 2019 was to look out for myself more and practise things on a daily basis that might help me. Now that I have tried some of these things for myself I would love to share my favourite self care habits, to inspire you to take time for yourself too.
Practise meditation every day
Even if you only have a few minutes a day practise some meditation. It really does help to focus and bring a little calm to your mind. As a beginner I just love the Insight Timer app. There are so many different meditations to try on the free version that I haven't found a need to pay for anything yet.
Look for the positives and be grateful
At the end of every day I think about 3 things that I have been grateful for that day. Whether it be a person in my life, something good that happened, or something not so good that I can take the positives from. You could practice this at the beginning of the day if you prefer, I just found that doing this at the end of the day helped to still my mind before sleeping.
Talk to yourself like you would a friend
This is really weird to start off with, especially if your inner critic likes to put a dampener on everything you do. But if you start to talk to yourself like you would a friend, with kindness, understanding and reassurance rather than criticism and harsh words, it really does help you to value yourself more.
Find an hour for yourself every day
I know this sounds really hard, but it's actually only about 4% of your day. Take a relaxing bath, read a book, catch up on your favourite TV show, or go for a walk. Do whatever takes your fancy for an hour to switch off from what you have going on that day.
I found it was much easier to switch off once I had made a conscious decision to spend time on myself. I'm not going to lie ... I did skip a few days here and there, but by using this as part of a daily routine I started to naturally want to take my hour for me.
Practise Yoga A Few Times A Week
I hadn't tried Yoga before, but as soon as I watched a few at home videos I was hooked. If you are a Yoga virgin too I would highly recommend trying a little, as it has so many benefits for your body and mind and generally makes you feel fantastic. You might need to try some different local or online classes first to see which Yoga style really floats your boat. If you're looking to give Yoga a try take a look at Yoga With Adriene on YouTube. Adriene has some great beginner videos with a wonderful laid back vibe.
Please note that I am not affiliated with any of the products or services that I recommend here. I have just tried them and love them.
Do you have a self care routine? Please feel free to share your top tips in the comments below.
Photo by Amy Treasure on Unsplash