Self-care 101
September 5th 2017
Self-care is such a funny thing, isn’t it? Lots of people including magazines and online influencers preach how important self-care is for our mental health and rightly they should. But it’s a funny concept because we give it this umbrella term, but it literally could mean anything.
When you think of self-care lots of people automatically think of having a warm bath, with a few scented candles and a good book. For some, that’s exactly what they do. For others, myself included that’s my worst nightmare. According to Self-care forum, self-care is defined as “The actions that individuals take for themselves, on behalf of and with others in order to develop, protect, maintain and improve their health, well-being or wellness.”
Self-care comes in many forms. It doesn’t matter how weird and or bizarre your ways of looking after yourself are, the most important thing, is that they work for you. My self-care methods are very alternative, to say the least, but they work for me, and that’s all that matters. Without further or do here is my self-care methods…
Reading
One of the slightly less weird self-care methods I use that I’m going to mention in this post. I love reading for purely one reason; You can escape into another dimension and completely forget all your troubles and problems for a while. You get to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life, to pause time momentary as you live the life of the character you are reading. This is something which is so beneficial for everyone, not just those with mental health problems. I find reading before bed, doubly beneficial as I tend to get a better night’s sleep.
Trashy TV
Something which you will never find on any prescription, yet a weird and unexpected tool in my recovery and self-care routine. I love trashy TV, you guessed it, the likes of Jeremy Kyle, This Morning and Big Brother. I know I’m not alone in this. So many people, I’ve spoken to say they love watching Jeremy Kyle, as a way of escapism. They are momentarily distracted from their faults, problems and issues because they get to hear about others, with a sprinkle of humour and cheekiness from the old man himself. Whether you agree with the morals of the show or not, you have to admit it makes for compulsive viewing.
Horror Films
Another thing, you will never find being given out at chemists but again an unexpected tool, which helps me escape from everyday life. I love Horror movies, the more suspense, blood and shocks the better. Horror movies don’t let me relax, by any means but they stimulate chemicals in my brain, which makes me excited and filled with a rush of adrenaline. As a depression sufferer, something which is few and far between these days. If horror movies aren’t your thing, you might enjoy fantasy or action movies, which allow you to be transformed into a realistic yet imaginary world escaping from your everyday problems.
Having regular breaks and holidays
I’m addicted to social media. It’s so easy to get caught up in a never-ending stream of notifications as your thumbs and fingers, move mindlessly between Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We’ve all been there and don’t get me wrong, social media is very beneficial for lots of reasons, but it also comes with a lot of negativity and leads to damaging comparisons. I went on a digital detox for a week, and it’s
the best form of self-care I could recommend. I was present in the moment, all the time, instead of having my eyes glued to my phone. I relaxed and enjoyed the places and people around me. I broke free from the constant competition, updates and tweets and I never felt better for it. I think digital detoxes, even if it is just for a day, should be recommended by all medical professionals because it did me wonders of good and I think everyone would benefit from doing the same.
So, here are just a few of my preferred ways of self-care. If you’ve looked at what I do with puzzled eyes and find yourself scratching your head, pondering, how on earth, what I’ve just talked about can ever help, that is okay. Self-Care is different for everyone; the most important thing is that you find what works for you and implement it regularly as part of your daily or weekly routine
