Self Care

Excellent Self-care

While the majority of people do actively try to take care of their physical health by exercising and eating a sensible diet most don’t stop to think about the other side that completes a happy, healthy individual, their mental health. Here are some tips for excellent self-care:

·         Treat your body – while we exercise to take care of our body we should also remember to give it a treat, pamper it a little. This could be by way of a massage after a hard days work when it is tired and stressed or something as simple as standing up and giving it a stretch to ease knotted muscles.

·         Take time out – refresh your body and mind by giving yourself some space, some time just for you, this could be as little as five minutes where you find peace and solitude by closing your eyes and deep breathing. The longer you can take time out from your busy day just for yourself the better.

·         Let your inner child out – can you remember how much simpler life was when you were a child; go back to your childhood for a short while. Do something you used to enjoy doing as a child, this could be anything from rollerblading, lying on your back and finding shapes in the clouds, making a daisy chain or playing on a swing.

·         Comfort yourself – we all have something that comforts us in times when we need it, something that make us feel safe and secure. Take time out to comfort yourself every now and again. This could be sitting in front of a roaring fire and watching the flames dance, relaxing in a hot bubble bath surrounded by candlelight, snuggling up in a favorite blanket or a particular smell that relaxes you.

·         Relax in fantasy – take time out to go out of your world and into another, this could be by way of a book, magazine or film. Or better yet visualization; go into your own fantasy world, created by your own mind.

·         Treat yourself to a mental health day – treat yourself to a whole day of just doing whatever it is you enjoy doing, don’t do any work or even think or feel guilty about what you should be doing. Just make the day all about you.

·         Rediscover nature – reconnect with the world around you by taking a long walk through the park, notice how green the grass is and how blue the sky and marvel at the weird and wonderful shapes of the clouds drifting over the sky.

·         Do something you keep putting off – take time out to do something you have been meaning to do for a long time. Don’t keep putting it off, make today the day to do it.

These are just some of the ways you can help to improve your health by taking care of your mental health, just open your mind and be more aware of your body and mind and you will discover many other ways to take care of your mental health which ultimately leads to a happier and healthier you, overall.