As a coach working closely with women, I've observed a common challenge: the difficulty of switching off and making time for self-care.
It’s easy to keep putting self-care off or letting other things get in the way, until we get sick, overwhelmed or exhausted and suddenly don’t have the energy to care for the loved ones and clients who count on us.
These wake up calls make us realise we haven’t been giving ourselves what we need in order to sustain us. You don’t need to completely drain yourself before you put self-care back on your radar. Taking care of yourself is essential.
Self-care is the practice of taking action to preserve or improve your health, wellbeing, and happiness. Who doesn’t want more of that?!
It involves small activities, practices and rituals, done a regular basis that collectively make a huge impact. These things can be proactive and planned, or spontaneous and in the moment.
Some other phrases you could use if self-care doesn’t resonate are ‘Self-Nurturing’, ‘Self-Nourishment’, ‘Wellness Practice’, or ‘Me-Time’.
By understanding what self-care is and regularly assessing your needs, you can develop self-care habits and routines that support and nourish you.
It’s a continuous process, it can be adjusted as your needs change and one size doesn’t fit all so it’s about finding what works for you personally. There will be times when self-care feels challenging to prioritise, and you’ll need reminders to weave it back into your days.
It doesn’t need to take a lot of time, it doesn’t need to be big and it doesn’t need to be expensive.
Read on for some simple strategies, ideas for quick, 60 second self-care and inspiration for when you have more time.
Self-Care Strategies
Here are some practical strategies for prioritising self-care.
See it as vital - self-care is a necessity for maintaining your health, energy. productivity and quality of life. Taking care of yourself means everyone around you benefits.
Prioritise - looking after yourself isn’t a luxury or something to be done when you’ve finished everything else or you’re feeling rubbish. It’s as important as any task on your to-do list. You don’t need to ‘earn’ it, it’s a priority. Can ‘you-time’ come first?
Incorporate - build self-care into your existing routine. Savour your morning coffee, focus on your senses as you cook and eat, notice what’s around you on the school run. Tune into the magic moments of peace and joy as you go through your day.
Micro-moments - self-care doesn’t need to be time consuming. Use brief moments through your day. Think 3 minute meditation in the car, deep breathing whilst you wait for the kettle to boil, doing some squats whilst you brush your teeth. Regular, small practices are more beneficial than sporadic intense ones.
Set boundaries - to protect your personal time. Schedule in specific time for yourself, make sure it happens and don’t make yourself available for other people, tasks or commitments . Putting yourself first means it’s sometimes necessary to say no to other people or things. Your needs are just as important as anyone else’s.
Identify your needs - regularly reflect on how you’re feeling physically, emotionally and mentally. Are you feeling tired stressed, overwhelmed, burnt-out, sad, anxious, disconnected, unfulfilled? Do you need rest, movement, nourishment, connection, quiet, headspace, energy?
Be realistic - set yourself small, achievable goals. This could simply be drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning, reading a book for 10 minutes before bed, taking a 5 minute walk each lunch time.
60 Second Self-Care
For those busy times you can't fit in more and still want to prioritise you
Sip a herbal tea mindfully - chamomile is nice for calm
Rub essential oils onto your wrists and temples - lavender is lovely and soothing
Write down how you feel - even just a word or two - getting it out means you’re aware of how you’re feeling, what your needs are and makes space for all your emotions, the trick to helping them pass
Give yourself a hand massage - with your favourite hand cream
Take some slow deep breaths - breathing out for longer than you breathe in calms your system
Have a nice snack or some chocolate that you keep in just for you - really enjoy your treat guilt free
Listen to your favourite feel good song - have a little head nod, foot tap, or go all out and shake/shimmy!
Read a few pages - of an easy read fiction book to transport you to another place
Listen to a minute or two - of your favourite feel good podcast
One-minute movement break - take a minute to run on the spot, do some star jumps, shake your hands, have a little stretch. This will give you some energy and mean you’re still getting some movement even on busy days.
Disengage - allow yourself a minute to just be and take a moment to rest - you can sit, lie down or stare out of the window. Give yourself some sacred time with no expectation or outcome.
For when you have more time
Take a walk - this could be in your garden, round where you live or in a local beauty spot. Further afield if time permits. Moving your body, especially outside has huge benefits.
Spend time in nature - time spent in nature is always well spent. Focus on your 5 senses and everything you notice around you, almost as if you were seeing it for the first time.
Get creative - in any way you like. Creativity boosts wellbeing and helps you to be present and switch off from your day-to-day. Drawing, painting, colouring, collage, cooking, baking, air dry clay, writing for pleasure, knitting, gardening etc.
Connect with others - we benefit greatly from connecting with others. It gives us a sense of belonging. Spend time with people who light you up - either on the phone or in person, attending events and building your own community.
Engage in a regular journaling practice - journaling helps us connect with, and enhance our relationship with ourselves. There are lots of ways you can journal - a brain dump or answering questions. You’ll find lots of ideas on my blog.
Take a break - allow yourself a proper break away from work or your usual responsibilities to switch off. This might be with family, friends, loved ones, or my personal favourite, alone!
Learn something new - learning and stimulating our brains is amazing for our mind health and for focusing on something different. What have you always wanted to know more about?
Take a digital detox - take a day, weekend or more off your phone to give yourself a break and reset your usage if you use social media/screens more than you’d like to.
Getting Support
If you struggle to allow yourself time for you, for self-care, rest and nourishment, I would love to support you with this.
I’ll help you gain self-awareness, understand more about the reasons why, change your mindset and create a plan. Often we have subconscious beliefs, patterns and mindsets that stop us from allowing us to really look after ourselves. These could be low self-worth, lack of self-belief, people pleasing, feeling guilty, habitual patterns and the overriding need to be constantly busy and productive.
I’ll provide you with support, guidance and gentle accountability.
If you'd like to explore any of this in more detail with a qualified, accredited and experienced coach - you're in the right place! I’d love to help you...
gain more clarity
see a different perspective
adopt a more positive mindset
put things into practice and be your accountability partner
supercharge your self-belief and confidence
Book a free discovery call
If you’d like to book a free 30 minute discovery call to find out more, check we’re a good fit and ask any questions you have, head to my website and book a time that suits you.
Coaching Programmes
Restore, Reconnect & Revive
12 week 1:1 coaching programme
A 3 month, nurturing space for you to step off the treadmill, reconnect to yourself and what's important to you, enhance your wellbeing and create meaningful change that aligns completely with the most important person in your life, you ~ inspired by nature and seasonal living
The Reset
2 hour 1:1 coaching intensive
This is a 2 hour intensive, 1:1 coaching session, with support before and after, to assess all areas of your life and help you work out your best steps to bring you more balance, joy and energy. From this place you'll improve your relationship with yourself, be better able to manage challenges, and go on to confidently achieve your goals.
Feel Good Founders
6 month, group coaching programme
for Female Business Owners
A 6 month, nurturing space for female business owners who love their business and the work they do, who have poured their selves, their time, energy and money into their business in recent years and they’ve sacrificed their wellbeing in order to do so.
This programme will support you to take a radically different approach - to run your business in harmony with who you are, and your current season of life. Together we’ll prioritise you and readjust your life and business before burnout becomes a reality.
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