Self Care tips to take care of yourself

Pascale is a Therapeutic Relationship and Life Coach, the founder of the Surviving to Thriving membership group and author of How to be Happy in Life and Love: A guide to living the life you Deserve. See more at  www.youfulfilled.co.uk

The last 12 months have been full-on, haven’t they? As if being a mummy isn’t hard enough, we have spent the most significant part of the last year home educating our children, with minimal opportunity to get out and let them do all the things they need to rebalance; run around, see their friends, be free. It has been hard. And for those of us that are working too, it has been nothing short of exhausting.  

Now the children are back at school, what do we need to do to look after ourselves? There has been a lot of talk about mental health and emotional well-being, but are any of us paying enough attention to ourselves? 

Here are a few tips to make sure you are charging your batteries because we all know that you cannot pour from an empty cup. If you want to be at the top of your Mummy game, you need to be practising self-care. 

Do what makes your heart happy 

I’m putting this right at the top of the list because I reckon most of us totally forget this. So, ask yourself, what is it that makes you truly happy? What can you do that will make you feel you are doing something just for you? Just let your mind wander. What is it? Seeing your friends for a coffee or wine once a week, sitting and reading for half an hour a day, going out for a run three times a week. Whatever it is, take the time to do it. Some things don’t need to be put off and delayed all the time. We get to chose what our priorities are, and goodness knows, if we don’t prioritise them, no one else will. So, decide what you want to do and how often you want to do it and just Put It In The Diary as a repeated task, so there’s no excuse not to do it. 

Healthy Living 

We all know the importance of healthy eating and exercise, but this so easily fails when tired and short of time. Being well-rested and organised for a healthy lifestyle is a mindset thing and nothing else. You can tell yourself that you don’t have the time to eat well and exercise, but that’s unlikely to be the truth. 

Look at the food in your fridge and cupboard. Examine your eating and drinking habits. What do you need to change? 2020 gave us all plenty of excuses to overeat and indulge in too many wines and G&T’s, and I’m not criticising anyone for that. But good self-care is about looking after what we put into our bodies as much as anything else—everything in moderation. Have fun, relax and treat your body kindly. Give it the nurturing it needs. 

Time schedule 

Be disciplined with your time. Having a good schedule is so important. It doesn’t have to be rigid, but there needs to be one. Ensure that you have your work time and your rest time clearly marked out, including your ‘me time’. Put in regular time to spend with your partner and friends. Where can you free up some time for yourself? Ask for help! What can you delegate or share? Does it all need to be done by you? Probably not, but we tend to get into the habit of just doing it because it’s easier and quicker and then moan that no one helps us. 

Remember, this is about looking after yourself. So knowing what you want and need is as much about diet, exercise and having fun as it is about knowing when to stop and rest.