We lead increasingly busy lives, and it can be easy to forget to put yourself first, especially if you have multiple responsibilities and other people to care for. But looking after yourself will make you feel better, and the better you feel, the better you will be in all areas of your life – from work to relationships.  

Self-care is an important part of living a healthy and happy lifestyle. Looking after yourself both mentally and physically is crucial to taking control of your health. A regime of self-care should improve the way you feel in body and mind. Engaging in a self-care routine is clinically proven to help reduce or eliminate stress by helping you foster good habits and understanding your needs. 

Self-care doesn’t have to be difficult or even expensive. There are loads of self-care activities that can be done for free. Really, anything you do for yourself that makes you feel better and cared for can be classified as self-care.  

10 – self-care activities you can do that won’t break the bank. 

• Get plenty of sleep
• Go for a walk 
• Have a long bath while listening to your favorite podcast or music 
• Read a book 
• Have a PJ Day and watch Netflix 
• Watch your favorite movie 
• Have a game night 
• Spend time with loved ones 
• Say NO to something you don’t want to do 
• Make something healthy yet delicious for dinner. 
• The Benefits of Self-Care. 

There are plenty of benefits to self-care, but its overall benefit should be to improve your wellbeing all around. For instance, when you take time in your day for relaxing activities you are making yourself feel more relaxed. This, in turn, reduces stress and anxiety levels and lifts your mood. As well as helping to calm your nerves, treating yourself with kindness can make you look upon yourself more kindly, therefore raising your self-esteem. 

Self-care can also lead to better relationships; if you think about it, the happier and healthier you are within yourself, the more you will put in your relationships. This includes family and friends as well as romantic ones. This is especially important for a parent or career, as it can be too easy to put someone else’s needs above your own. But you must look after your own health too.  

A big part of self-care is taking care of physical health, whether this be brushing your teeth, exercising, or getting the required sleep; it is recommended that if you do a self-care plan, you should include physical health activities. The most popular one is going for a walk; research has shown that walking for 30 minutes a day helps boost mood and health. If you can’t do the whole 30 minutes at once, you can break it down into smaller walks. 

Making changes to priorities and self-care can help improve mental health. Of course, self-care is not a substitute for any mental health professional, and if you do feel you need help, you shouldn’t feel you have to tackle your problems alone. If your mental health is suffering, you should talk to someone. 

Contacts that might help:  

*mind.org.uk 

*www.nhs.uk 

*The Samaritans – a free call: 116 123  

*Shout – a free text: 85258 

* The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) – 5pm-midnight: 0800 585858

This was written by our contributing writer, Leah Palmer.