Self Care: 7 Top tips to get you started
Top Tips to help you to de-stress, practice self-care and be happy
If you are a people pleaser, always putting others first and finding that you are constantly feeling overwhelmed and exhausted – then this blog is for you!
Here I share my 7 Top Tips to help you to de-stress, practice self-care and be happy!
7 Top Tips
Many of us find it easier to look after the welfare of others, rather than ourselves. Somehow it feels selfish to spend time focussing on our needs. But research shows that continually ignoring our own needs can lead to ill health and mental illness*.
1. It’s a mindset thing.
Do you find it challenging to start something new? If your mind is already full to overflowing and stuck in a rut, learning to focus on your self-care can feel daunting. Ask yourself, what would be the benefits of focussing on my self-care? E.g., increased energy and motivation, reduced stress, more patience? What one small step could you take today to move towards introducing some self-care into your life?
2. Start with honesty
The purpose of self-care is to replenish/rebalance your energy on a physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual level. As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup. When you take time to replenish yourself, it allows you to help others from the overflow. So, what replenishes you? Reading, walking, meditation, exercise, laughing with friends, socialising? Be clear about the activities that work for you and start to build them into your daily/weekly routine.
3. When enough is enough
Do you have strong boundaries in place? Do you know what your coping limits are and how to say no? Start by being clear with yourself about what is acceptable and what isn’t. Then take one area of your life at a time and begin to reinforce the boundaries that you’ve decided upon. Use the following statement to help you reinforce what you need or want:
I feel ___________ when ____________ because____________
What I need/want is ______________
4. Feeling guilty
Do you feel guilty for putting your self-care to the top of the list? Many of us are brought up with the belief that as women, it is our primary concern to look after those around us. But when we look after ourselves, we have so much more to give to those around us. So can you afford NOT to practice self-care?
5. Respect
Practicing self-care means that you respect yourself enough to take proper care of yourself. We often wait for someone else to give us permission to look after ourselves when in fact, we are the keepers of our own welfare. We are the best people to decide what is right for us and how we need to be treated. What one thing could you do to support your self-care today?
6. Slow down!
It feels at times as though our lives are driving us, rather than the other way around. It’s true that there are routines we need to do day to day – the school run, work, food shopping, children’s clubs etc. But are there opportunities to change some of these commitments to allow you some self-care time? Does it all have to be done exactly as it is now? Is there real value in all that is going on, or could some of the activities be reduced?
7. Raising awareness
The fact that you are reading this blog means that you are already considering how you can improve your self-care – which is fantastic! Be gentle with yourself, allow your thoughts to mull over the suggestions in this blog and see which resonate the most with you. If something feels too challenging, leave it for now. Start with baby steps and work towards what you want to achieve for yourself. Hook up with a friend and support each other as you both begin to value your self-care activities.
Summary
By following the 7 tips in this blog, you can start to introduce some self-care activities into your life and feel the benefits of reduced stress, improved energy and respect for yourself.
If you have any questions or would like to experience how life coaching can help you improve your wellbeing, you can email me ali@aliarmishaw.co.uk or use the FREE taster button to book a complimentary session.
*1.49 million people were in contact with mental health services, at the end of December 2021. NHS Digital - Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics
