Self-care is more important now than it ever has been. Here are some top ways to improve your wellbeing and just why it is so important…
Self-care was a rising movement even before the coronavirus pandemic struck. But when you’ve been forced to stay at home for months on end, the ability after your own mental-wellbeing has become more important than ever. Of course, some of us are better at this than others. That’s at least in part because self-care is a skill you have to learn, and some methods of looking after yourself are more effective than others.
Taking the time to occasionally treat yourself can provide a little bit of a welcome break, especially if you’ve been working through the lockdown. It can also provide a chance to reflect on how things are going, and what’s truly valuable in life. Even if it’s just something minor, like a home-cooked meal that you’ve spent two hours making and two minutes eating, these rituals can make life a great deal more fulfilling. Here are some of the ways through which you might fend off stress.
Treat Yourself in Moderation
If you’re constantly treating yourself every time you visit the kitchen, then you’ll become numb to the dopamine and everything will start to seem a little dull and depressing. If you make your treat-night a more occasional thing, however, it may well feel amazing.
What you include in your self-care regimen will depend on your personal taste. You might bring in a meal from your favourite takeaway, capped off with a box of high-quality chocolates with toffee in the centre. Similarly, a glass of red wine while soaking in a bubble bath can be intensely rewarding – but not if you do it every night of the week.
Turn off Social Media
Social media has brought about some worthwhile benefits during lockdown. Through it, we’ve been able to keep in touch with those closest to us, while still maintaining a prudent social distance. But social media has a dark side. It can prompt feelings of misplaced envy and anger at the state of the world, as well as eating up all of your free time. Make a conscious effort to unplug for at least eight hours a day, and try to take note of what happens to your brain when you do log in.
Exercise
According to some fairly plausible research, most people in the UK are getting less physical exercise than they were prior to the lockdown. A third of adults polled claimed to have gained weight since the lockdown began. Given the link between physical wellbeing and mental health, this is disastrous for the nation’s mood. Getting out for a walk into the sunshine will help to fend off that cabin fever, especially if you lack a garden.
Try to implement these top ways to improve your wellbeing into your everyday life and you’re guaranteed to see an improvement soon…
