Self care is incredibly important in order for us to centre ourselves in our hectic lives, and to feel like we’re ourselves again. Unfortunately, it can feel difficult and daunting to perform self care tasks, particularly if we see self care solely in the form of lengthy, committal, activities like meditation or going for a run every day. Those activities are also important, but when those feel too difficult, these are 5 other ways to self care :
- Take a warm shower/bath, and wear a freshly clean pair of pyjamas, and change your bedsheets. One of the first signs of depression is when someone starts to lack their own hygiene. By taking a warm shower or bath, and by changing into clean clothes and slipping into a clean and fresh-smelling bed, it can do wonders for your mental health.
- Let yourself have that extra five minutes in bed in the morning. But then get out and make the bed. Be kind to yourself, there’s no need to rush everywhere you go, but also give yourself that limitation of not spending hours in bed.
- Switch off social media for at least an hour. Social media use is linked to declines in mental health. Give yourself time to detox from social media, and to reconnect with yourself and the environment around you.
- Watch a favourite movie or TV show
- Listen to calming music. This doesn’t mean just classical music, some people find classical music calming, but others can find jazz or soft rock very relaxing too. Put on some music which relaxes you, and give yourself time to just listen.
Self care is also in the little things that we do every day. And when you feel more motivated, I encourage you to move on to other activities as well, such as sport or meditation, for a more long-lasting positive effect on your mental health. But when it feels like you’re too busy for those kinds of activities, then turn back to the simple things we mentioned in this blog. And these aren’t the only possibilities. Find what small things help to uplift your mood, and incorporate them in your daily life.
References
Mel McElhatton holds a degree in Social Work from the University of Malta. With Willingness, Mel does life coaching and is one of the facilitators in the IRL – In Real Life team. They are also the producer of the radio show Niddiskutu s-Sess. They can be contacted on mel@willingness.com.mt or call us on 79291817.