How to practice 'Self Care'
Looking after Number 1
Modern life is becoming increasingly busy and also more stressful. Many of us often feel that there are too many plates spinning and our daily lives are just like a roundabout that we’d love to hop off of, from time to time. Whether we have busy careers and social lives, are looking after small children or elderly parents or have over-committed ourselves to helping others, there never seems to be any time left for you.
We often neglect ourselves at the expense of keeping on top of all the other things we believe we should be doing. Being busy can be a great thing and can make us feel fulfilled but at the same time, if we’re not looking after and taking time for ourselves, it could also lead to both physical and mental health problems. Many doctors believe that stress is one of the biggest health issues we face but thankfully, there’s plenty of advice around to help us all try to conquer this.
At Cyberjammies, we’re not Doctors or even experts but we’ve rounded up what we believe is some of the best advice out there on how to look after yourself a little better and hopefully combat some of the stress we’re all facing in modern life.
Zzzz power
We’re huge fans of sleep, here at Cyberjammies but like many people, we’re often plagued by the dreaded whirring brain or disturbed sleeping patterns. We’ve tried a few of the recommended ways to get a better night’s sleep and our top tip is to actively try to relax before bed. For some of us this may mean a soak in the bath with a scented candle before turning in for the night. For others, reading a book, at bedtime, can help your mind to switch off and escape from the daily grind. We’re also fans of pillow sprays and have fallen in love with the Neom ‘Perfect Night Sleep’ spray to help us nod off. Finally, one tip we’ve found that really works is to switch off those gadgets about an hour before bed. Whether it’s a mobile phone, tablet, TV or games console, turning them off before bedtime seems to help calm the mind and get us to the land of nod, a little quicker.
Take a break
We often feel like we have no time for ourselves but sometimes you just have to force it. That may mean planning some time in advance and getting someone else to cover whatever else you’re meant to be doing. It’s worth it to spend some time, however little, just doing something for you. One of our favourite ways to spend a little ‘me-time’ includes getting out in the fresh air. This could mean taking a break from your desk at lunchtime and heading to the nearest park. If you’re feeling active, have a wander and spend time just with your own thoughts. Equally, reading a book on a park bench, even for twenty minutes, can be just as relaxing. However, you choose to ‘get outdoors’, it provides a welcome change of scenery and often means you return to the rest of your day, a little more refreshed.
Getting some exercise may not seem like a break to some people but it can be a powerful way to spend some time doing something just for you. Some people find that the time they spend running, cycling or swimming is valuable time spent without distractions and offers time to spend thinking or just simply switching off. Yoga isn’t for everybody but with so many types on offer, it’s worth trying a few different ones, as this is a great way to focus on yourself and destress. With the emphasis on taking fulfilling, deep breaths, yoga helps the blood flow to the brain and has a calming effect on the body. If you’d like to try yoga in the comfort of your own home, then take a look at the Yoga with Adriene videos on YouTube. They’re free and with videos for beginners and specific ones such as ‘Yoga for Sleep’ and ‘Yoga for bad backs’, it worth trying it just once. You may even get hooked. If yoga’s not for you, then why not get some of the same benefits by meditating. Taking just 15-20 minutes a day to meditate calms the mind and can help to improve concentration. What’s more, it’s a short time, totally dedicated to you. For those wanting to give it a try, we found the Headspace app a great place to start. Finally, in our busy lives, we often find ourselves keeping in touch with friends via social media. Whilst this is a great way to stay in touch with lots of different people, we often miss out on a really good catch up. Whether you and your friends are there to make each other laugh or be a supportive ear and advisor, spending time with people, who make you feel good, can help you to feel more prepared to face whatever life is currently throwing at you. This could be setting time aside to make a long overdue phone call or arranging to meet up in person, for coffee, lunch or dinner.
Pamper Yourself
Spending a day at a spa is a luxury many of us would love to indulge in but if time and cash are low, there’s no reason why you can’t recreate the spa experience in your own home. Pampering yourself is not only a good opportunity to relax but also means you can focus on yourself for a short while and take care of the parts of your body that need a treat. Whether you’re looking to make your toes twinkle, nourish your skin or get an all-over tan, the beauty of a home spa is that it’s your ‘pamper party’, so the choice is yours. Switch off your phone, run a bath and make sure you’ve stocked up on the essentials like face masks, gorgeous smelling bubbles, body scrubs and moisturising body cream. Our favourite ritual is to put on some relaxing music, light a candle and then start with some dry body brushing, while the bath is running. Whilst soaking in the bath, it’s time do a face scrub and then apply a mask. We like to have some flannels handy to wipe off any product before applying the next one. Once out of the bath, we’ll apply a generous helping of body cream and then do a little manicure and pedicure. Our final tip to really finish off a pampering evening, is to change into clean Pyjamas (Cyberjammies of course) and then get into a freshly made bed. Home spa heaven.
