SELF-CARE THIS VALENTINES DAY
We use the term self-care a lot, but although it’s one of the terms, regularly used by many, it’s often not clear what it means.
The basic definition of self-care is any behaviour, or activity completed to look after our physical, mental, spiritual or emotional needs.
There are times when it feels that everyone else’s needs drains us of our time, energy and emotions. This is when self-care comes into play. It is the routine maintenance you need to function. To be your best for yourself and for others.
Many people struggle to come up with their own ideas for self-care and continue to live life, looking after others demands, until they reach burnout. If that is you, if you struggle to take care of you, we at Make Me A Plan, have put together a list of ideas for you to try. After all, what time like the present to start putting Healthy Habits into practice? Valentine's Day is fast approaching so why not show yourself a bit of love.
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Pick one thing from your ‘to do’ list and get it done,
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Read for 10 minutes,
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Get yourself a planner and schedule in some designated ‘me time’,
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Listen to some music to inspire, motivate and/or relax,
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Write a list of things you are grateful for and post it somewhere that you can see it to remind yourself of positive things in your life,
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Organise your clothes and donate some clothes to charity,
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Smile at others,
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Compliment yourself,
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Meditate,
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Try something new,
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Make contact with someone you haven’t spoken to in a while,
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Take time away from your screens for an hour or two,
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Watch some funny videos,
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Go for a walk,
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Try writing a song or a poem,
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Start a conversation with a stranger,
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Paint your nails,
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Have a long, indulgent bath,
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Declutter a room,
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Live in the moment – take a few moments, several times a day to process how you feel at that moment,
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Do some baking,
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Listen to a podcast,
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Handwrite a letter to someone you care about,
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Go for a picnic,
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Sing,
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Try a new hairstyle,
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Take a nap if you need one,
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Listen to some live music,
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Make a collage or mood board of something you want,
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Volunteer.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to self-care, find something that makes you feel good and treat yourself to time to actually do it. Oh, and give yourself a loving and indulgent Valentines Day.