When I say ‘self-care’ what does it mean to you?
Does it mean spending 2 days at a spa? Or maybe getting your nails done?
When I used to think about doing some self-care, this what I thought it was and always said to myself…
“I WISH I had time for that!”
It was after I got to a point in my life that self-care was no longer a choice – something had to be done.
My migraines got so bad that I couldn’t get out of bed, how did things get this bad?
It was because I completely neglected myself and thought of self-care as some sort of luxury, a bonus. A good thing IF i have the time. When things got to point where I could barely get out if bed, I knew something had to change. I needed to change my mindset for the sake of my health as well as my relationships.
I needed to make myself a priority. I needed to learn to look after ME.
In my old Facebook Group I had a great conversation with Psychologist Laura Partington in my group, we talked about the importance of self-care, how to recognise our needs and how to implement it.
If you didn’t get to watch it, here’s the recap:
1. Figure Out Your Needs
Thinking about your needs in priority order, let’s first focus on your physiological health first. Are you eating well? Are you exercising? Are you drinking enough? These are the basics and a good place to start.
2. Decide What You're Going To Work On
So whether it’s starting to eat properly or exercising regularly, choose 1 aspect of your life that you want to improve. Trying to change too much can become quite overwhelming and cause you to burn out so it’s important that you change 1 thing at a time.
3. Create Goals
Written and verbal goals can help us feel accountable. Get a notebook, use your phone and write down what your goal is, what do you want to achieve? It could be eating 3 meals a day or cutting out processed foods, exercising 3 times a week.
4. Make A Plan
Now that you know what you want to change, how are you going to do it? Do you need to a meal plan? Do you need to organise childcare? What will you need to meet your goals?
5. KISS
Keep it super simple. Try and do something that will fit into your current routine. We already have so much to do as mums, think of a way to implement it into your lifestyle without it being hard work and keep your goals realistic.
6. Start A New Habit
The best way to make changes is my starting small, consistent habits. Whatever you’re changing, put an alarm on your phone, create a routine. It takes a 21-30 days for habits to form so keep going, even on the days it feels hard. If it helps, speak to your partner or a friend and let them know what your doing – they can help you to feel motivated and accountable.
I hope that’s enough to help you start thinking about looking after yourself and making sure your needs are met.
If you’re struggling with figuring out what you need to do or actually making make a change, get in touch with me and we’ll chat about how you can start meeting your needs!