Tips for self-care

We can combat stress, increase positivity and improve our wellbeing with self-care. These quick tips will soon have you on the road to better mental wellbeing. What’s more, these tips can be done anywhere, by anyone, so they can be quickly and easily incorporated into a daily routine and a regular mindset.

Be present – Take a breath and really experience where you are. Notice how you are feeling.
Practice gratitude – To actively be grateful is a powerful tool for thinking more positively. Keep a mental gratitude diary; write down three things to be grateful for every day. It might be our health, a job, our surroundings, our relationships, our pets.
Access your support network – Reaching out for help when we need it is important, as is talking with friends and spending time connecting with family, even virtually. This can all help us feel supported.
Write down anxieties, and let them go – It is natural to have worries and concerns in uncertain times. We can learn to express these in a way we can control to help us not be anxious. That could be writing down what we feel, or keeping a journal. Express the worry, put it down in writing in a notebook, and then put that away: “Let it go.”
Adjust expectations – Aim to release some pressure, and be realistic and compassionate in what you expect from yourself. The situation we find ourselves in is unprecedented. There is no right or wrong way to be.
Think about restricting access to news media and social media – Agree how and when you access media if it helps you feel more grounded and in control.
Try some breathing and relaxation techniques – Try downloading an app or listening to a meditative podcast. Control your breathing by taking a five-second breath in through the nose, hold that breath for five seconds, and then breathe out for five seconds. Do this five times or for 3 minutes.
Exercise and natural light – We can get our natural endorphins going with light and exercise! There may be limited ability to take trips to parks and for countryside walks, but it’s still important to access natural light and connect with nature whenever we can.

On top of that, there will be a whole range of self-care tips that work for you. We all have our own ways of relaxing and letting go of stress, so it’s important to find your own way of unwinding. This could be: