5 Self-Care Habits To Adopt for a healthier You

When you hear the term self-care, what comes to mind, spa days? is it a hotel stay? Or maybe even a yoga retreat! The world at large would have us believe that if you do any of the aforementioned then you’re practising good self-care but in truth, self-care isn’t about that. It is about finding things that can help you reduce stress and gives you an opportunity to recharge your batteries. It’s for this reason why I wanted to share 5 self-care habits to adopt for a healthier you and in the process a more centred and happier you.

Self-care is defined as an activity or activities that we do deliberately to take care of our overall wellbeing. So let me ask you this, what activities do you deliberately in your daily life that supports your overall wellbeing. Personally, I do a few simple things which are listed in my 5 self-care habits to adopt for a healthier you. It does not have to cost you money, self-care for me is all about allocating time to myself to recharge and reduce the stresses of life.

5 Self-Care Habits To Adopt for a healthier You

Life seems to get busier every day and it seems every day we are bombarded with our never-ending to-do lists. It can be hard sometimes to have those few moments to just sit back, relax and reset but it doesn’t have to be that way. When I was young, I used to watch my mum take a few minutes a day to have her ‘mummy time’. This was the time she recharged ready to continue the day to day responsibilities she had and as a workaholic, she definitely needed mummy time.

When I moved out of my parent’s house and into my own space, I realised I needed to prioritise me. As a student, I had the university, two jobs, the boyfriend, friends and I needed to maintain a social life but with good grades. It was not easy even if my friends seemed to think so, I used to find myself stretched so thin I was always tired. Until one day I decided something had to give and it was the day I chose me, I chose to prioritise me, make me happy and content. To this day, I follow these 5 Self-Care Habits To Adopt for a healthier You.

Learn to say no

For as long as I can remember, I have always been a pleaser, I didn’t like the idea of saying NO to people. I always felt like I failed someone if I said no, I felt like they would be disappointed in if I uttered that simple word, NO. As I became more aware of myself and personal needs, I realised I didn’t owe anyone anything and if I was uncomfortable, I could say no. This awareness did not come overnight, it took me many years to realise that trying to please everyone is a losing game.

Take care of your self

Self-care is all about taking care of yourself not only mentally or emotionally but physically too. Over the last couple of months, I have signed up to the gym which I attend regularly and have seen improvements in my physical health. I have also decided to eat better, it is important to look after both the inside and the outside and training physically and what you eat work hand in hand.

Treat Yourself daily to something you love

Self-care is about treating yourself daily to something that you love, for me personally it’s binging on a series, watching movies either at home or at the cinema. Of late I have taken up reading again and it’s just so liberating being able to get lost in a book and shut the world off. Another thing that I love to do is eat chocolate and energy balls, now I don’t do this everyday but whenever I feel like chocolate, I have chocolate.

Find a quiet place for meditation

Self-care is about finding that quiet space where you can just relax and meditate and shut off the world. Not all of us can afford to go away and stay at a hotel or away from home but it doesn’t have to be like that. I sometimes use the time when I am showering as a time to meditate. I don’t know about you but when I am taking a shower, my mind creates a life of its own and I need to focus and meditate. When I am in bed, I used that time to pray, focus on life and as a quiet space, if there was ever a place that was quiet, its the bedroom.

Get Out and About

Self-care is about getting out of your everyday routine and doing something different, it could be travelling abroad or it could be simple as taking a walk in the woods. For me when I need that quiet space for meditation, as a way to treat myself and at the same time take care of myself, I go for a walk at a National Trust property near me. Take yourself out and about, allow yourself the opportunity to rejuvenate and reset.

How you choose to practise self-care is up to you but I hope these 5 self-care habits to adopt for a healthier you will be useful.