What does self care mean to you?
Self care. It’s a phrase bandied about so easily on social media platforms, where glowing, sleek lycra-clad influencers extoll the benefits of yet another new superfood, diet plan, exercise or skincare regime. But really, who has the time?
If that last sentence was all too familiar, you are very possibly in need of some serious self care.
Self care means taking care of yourself.
Self care means looking after your own physical and mental health and wellbeing. Without checking in to your own health and wellbeing needs – and taking action – you may find yourself struggling with repeat bouts of illness, increasing irritability, low moods, and poor decision making around diet, exercise and your social life. If you don’t look after yourself, how can you look after your family, your friends or your work demands?
And right now is when you need to start paying attention to your self care needs.
As the nights draw in we enter the low season – getting up in the dark, setting off to work and arriving home in the dark, work demands increase as budgets and plans for the next year are required, we flinch every time the boiler fires up as the central heating switches on, and oh my – Christmas is coming, with all the extra spend, decision making, negotiating family arrangements and upset to normal routine that accompanies it.
How to manage your self care
Physical health
Diet
Looking after your physical health is essential to keeping the bugs at bay in the winter months. Start with looking at your diet. Start the day positively with a healthy breakfast – swap your usual white sliced for a malted sourdough, perhaps, which has more fibre and way fewer ultra processed food ingredients. Or trade your usual bowl of cereal for porridge, made fresh with proper rolled oats, your milk of choice and a drizzle of honey – throw in a handful of blueberries for a vitamin C superfood burst. Both of these options offer ‘fuller for longer’ feels, keeping you supplied with energy longer into your morning. We’re not going to lecture you about sensible lunch and evening meal choices; we all know the NHS guidance around portion control and getting our five a day, not to mention the kerfuffle around ultra processed foods of late. Part of self care is making choices that work for you, but that you know won’t leave you with a sense of regret.
Hydration
Drink LOTS of water. This isn’t a fad – human adult bodies need 1.2 to 2 litres a day of fluid. This doesn’t have to be just water – it can come in the form of fruit juice, fruit tea, tea or coffee – though beware that tea and coffee are diuretics and will make you wee more, so you’ll need more water to replace what you’re losing. When you’re fully hydrated your brain works more efficiently (it is, after all 75% water, and even a 2% drop in hydration will have an affect on your memory and attention) and your body is better able to function too – your joints are better lubricated, your digestive system works more fluidly (nobody loves constipation…), your skin will thank you and everything just works better.
Hydration doesn’t include alcohol. Using alcohol as a coping mechanism is never a good idea as it actually affects your brain chemistry, which can increase the risk of depression.
Exercise
Keeping physically fit has so many benefits, as we all know. Check our our blog about the benefits of cold weather exercise here: The benefits of exercising outdoors in winter
Mental health
Kitchen disco
How do we practise self care in terms of mental health? We’ve said it before, but exercise is the easiest, cheapest thing you can do to boost those feel-good hormones. You don’t have to go for a run or throw around some weights, if that’s not your thing (and it’s hardly anybody’s every day thing); an arm-swinging, knee-pumping dance around your kitchen to some very loud music will not only raise your heart rate but has been scientifically proven to reduce levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. It also triggers the release of dopamine – a natural mood booster, and endorphins – a natural painkiller. So next time you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, you know what to do. Just make sure the coast is clear and have a boogie.
Practise gratitude
You may have heard of gratitude journals, where you write down each day everything you have to be grateful about. They can be very powerful for those struggling with anxiety or low moods, and a good think will reveal much to be grateful for – from big things like family or friends who truly care, to little things like a dry walk to the bus stop or grabbing the last smoked salmon sandwich in M&S. If you end each day running through those little wins, you actively reduce the amount of cortisol (that pesky stress hormone) and shift your thoughts away from negativity and into positivity, this will help you sleep better and indeed recent research suggests that practising gratitude can help boost your immunity, just what we need as we head into flu season.
Stay connected
Humans are social animals. Staying connected with people we like is an important aspect of maintaining good mental health. Whether it’s sharing a meal each night with our family, grabbing coffee with a friend or even watching Strictly while fully plugged in to a WhatsApp group chat (uh oh, Vito forgot his buttons again…), engaging with other human beings is what we’re designed to do. Isolation is unhealthy, something we all came to realise during 2020.
Recognise your limits
You may be superwoman, or superman, nine days out of ten, or 29 out of 30, but there will be times when you have just hit your limit. So stop. Take a personal day. Tell your family how you’re feeling and that you need some space and a few hours of peace and nothing to do but chill. Self care isn’t just about the big stuff, it’s about granting yourself moments of zero pressure – read a book, go for a walk, lie on your bed and gaze at the ceiling. Refresh yourself and don’t re-engage until you’re ready.
Choose your attitude
Finally, don’t forget, as a functioning adult human you actually have a choice over how you react to events in your life. If you choose to be grumpy, to hold grudges and to take your stressful day home with you, you will find that pays dividends in equal kind. If you choose to leave your day at the door, your interactions with those around you will be far more pleasant, uplifting and something to be grateful for. Choosing your attitude is easier once you have other self care elements in place: overwhelmed people find it hard to put the brakes on.
Looking after yourself doesn’t mean putting yourself first, but it does mean developing self-awareness of your physical and mental needs, and taking both preventative and remedial action, to ensure a happy, healthy winter.
Eddie – Friday 4th October 2024. (Image used of Eddie playing Padel with Adrian from Hibbert Homes).
