You're always busy taking care of others, but are you paying enough attention to your own well-being? We all have busy, stressful lives and with so much going on all the time, it's easy to forget that you need to take care of yourself too.

When you neglect yourself, you will soon start to feel exhausted and get sick. As a result, your mental health will suffer. So you have to be kind to yourself!

Being kind to yourself, or self-care as it is increasingly known, means taking care of your mental health and physical well-being and removing yourself from the everyday stresses of work and family life. Here we take a look at how you can be kinder to yourself:

Take a bath

A hot, soapy bath is a wonderful way to relax. Take half an hour, a luxurious bubble bath and a few drops of essential oils and enjoy a nice, long bath. If you need relaxing essential oils, try vetiver or frankincense, or if you're looking for invigoration, opt for a citrus oil like petitgrain or bergamot. Not only do baths feel relaxing, they're good for you too!

Go to bed early

In addition to helping our body recover from the day, sleep also helps us recover from mental exertion. 2 Getting a good night's sleep is essential for total well-being. If you're having trouble getting a full eight hours of sleep, there are many things you can do to get a good night's sleep. Avoid caffeine in the evening, tidy your room (this will also help clear your mind!), and avoid blue screens like phones, tablets, and TVs right before bed.

Do something you like

We often neglect the things we love to do in favor of working hard. But spending time on your hobbies can really help you feel good. Why not spend just 10 minutes each day doing something you really enjoy? Try learning a new language, playing a musical instrument, completing a puzzle, or simply reading a few pages of a good book.

Meditation

You only need a few minutes of quality time to practice effective meditation. Meditation helps restore calm and reduce stress. Try sitting for five minutes to focus on breathing deeply and slowly through your nose. Whenever your attention starts to wander, bring it directly to your breathing. Meditation can help with well-being and mindfulness, allowing you to be fully present without overthinking or overreacting.

Exercise

When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins, which interact with receptors in your brain to trigger a positive feeling in your body.

Adding exercise to your day also gives you a sense of routine which can really help your mental health. There are many different types of exercise, from gentle stretching and yoga to a brisk walk outside, or even high-intensity interval training and weight lifting.

So there is sure to be an exercise that you will enjoy. You don't have to go to the gym to exercise, you can do it at home, outdoors in a park, or take a walk around the block. As body trainer Joe Wicks always says, you'll never regret a workout!

take time for yourself

Having just five quiet minutes can do you a lot of good. Sit down with a cup of tea, look out the window and relax. Don't carry your phone with you, or else you might be tempted to scroll through social media or the news, and it's nice to have time away from those external pressures.

Go out to walk

Going for a good walk can do wonders for your well-being. Walking can help improve self-perception, self-esteem, mood, and sleep quality.

Walking also gives you some quiet time away from everything else, so if there's something worrying you have the space to try to figure it out. Walking is also great exercise. While you are kind to your mind, you are also being kind to your body.

Affirmations

Affirmations can help you overcome negative thoughts by helping you focus on something positive. Affirmations are positive statements that should be repeated frequently, especially when you feel challenged.

Try writing down three things you like about yourself and your lifestyle, and repeat them when you feel stressed or worried. By believing these things, you can help change negative behaviors and feelings.

Sources

1. https://happiful.com/5-mental-health-benefits-of-bathing/
2. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/blog/importance-sleep
3. https://www.walkingforhealth.org.uk/get-walking/why-walk/healthy-minds
4. https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/affirmations.htm