Happy Mind | 5 Simplistic Self Care Ideas

Self Care: The actions that individuals take for themselves, on behalf of and with others in order to develop, protect, maintain and improve their health, wellbeing or wellness. (Self Care Forum)

Articles about self-care often focus on the more luxurious options; the whole 'take a bubble bath' / 'have a pamper' routine. Whilst these can be fantastic self care practices, it is important to also consider some of the more simplistic examples of self care which can be instilled into your daily life.

Self care is quite simply the actions within your lifestyle you take to maintain and improve your mental health and wellbeing; the ways you take care of yourself. It's much easier than you may think to instill self-care practices in your daily routine and today I'm going to explore five of the main opportunities for everyday self care.

Make sure you're eating three meals a day.
Not the most radical self care idea I know, but an important one that so many people fail to do. Eating three healthy balanced meals a day is something which is so key to your mental health. Ensuring you're getting adequate amounts of all the key food groups, vitamins and minerals will help to maintain your mental health. Try to allocate time to properly sit down for each meal as this will not only help you to digest your food better but it will also give you a brief interlude from the craziness of life.

Settle yourself into a good sleep pattern.
The benefits of a good nights kip are well talked about and therefore getting your body into a good sleeping routine is a key way of looking after yourself. I'm not going to sit here and say you should be getting 9 hours of sleep every night because, whilst this is the ideal, it's not entirely practical when you consider the hustle and bustle of everyday life. But allowing yourself a good nights sleep every night is important and something we should all be doing.

Learn that it's ok to say no.
Identifying when you need to say no to social offers and take some me time is really important. I'm not saying shut yourself away and become a hermit, but every now and again (or as much as needed) it's ok to decline an invitation and take some time for yourself. Your friends will understand.

Drink enough water.
Again, this is a fairly obvious, but crucial one all the same. So many people don't give their bodies enough water during the day but girl you need to quench that thirst. If, like me, you're one of those people who is pretty crap at remembering to drink enough water, there's two things I do to get myself into a good drinking routine. Firstly, I bought myself a cute little water bottle which goes with me everywhere so I always have access to water. My local area has a campaign in which local cafes/restaurants/pubs sign up to provide free water when you need your bottle refilling and it's brilliant; I really wish it was a national thing. Secondly I've downloaded one of those water apps on my phone which kindly pesters me every hour and reminds me to have a little drink.

Stick to your skincare routine.
A good nightly skincare routine is the perfect opportunity to take the time each day to give yourself a little pamper; a little TLC. You don't have to go all out with face masks and fancy creams if that's not you, but a simple cleansing routine will revive your skin and help you to feel better. If you can use products involving essential oils (lavender, tea tree etc.) that'll add an extra dimension to your self care.

These five things are all concepts that often go out of the window when you're going through a period of bad mental health and I know that when you're in a rough place simply brushing your hair can seem like climbing a mountain. But instilling these five simplistic self care practices into your daily life can really help to boost your mood and to make things seem even that little bit better.


Have you got anymore ideas for simplistic self care?

5 comments:

  1. I love this post! Seeing people talk about self care makes me so happy because we all should consider it in our day to day routine!

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    1. We really should, self care is so so important and the more it's emphasised the better.

      Thank you for taking the time to comment!

      Chloe x

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  2. I'm not very good at sticking to a skin care routine but I do think that I feel better when I do. I also feel alot more productive when I stick the a similar bedtime, it seems obvious but it can be easy to forget.

    Molly | www.mollyeez.co.uk

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    1. I used to be absolutely rubbish at sticking to my skincare routine but once you remember for a week or so straight it becomes pretty embedded and now it's second nature.

      Thank you for taking the time to comment! Chloe x

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  3. These are all wonderful tips! I've gotten into the habit of saying no to often haha! Introvert life for sure. Your posts are wonderful!!

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