I hope that everyone reading this article is doing well and that you are all safe.
This strange period in our lives caused a lot of distress for absolutely everyone, draining us both mentally and physically. It made me realise how important it is that we all remember to take care of both our mental and physical health, especially when the world around us isn’t doing so great. Now, I’ve read plenty of self-care articles and watched countless Youtube videos, but I always found them to have a tendency to be somewhat overcomplicated. All I wanted were some really simple, easy ways to distract myself and feel a little better. I’m hopeful that someone can find at least one thing from this article that can be taken on board to help you, even a little. So here are some tips I personally found useful:
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It is not necessary that you always be productive; you are allowed to take time for yourself and spend your free-time in whatever manner you please.
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Put your phone down and take some deep breaths outside your front door. This would really help ease the headaches I would get from overthinking and stressing about the future. It’s also a really nice break from looking at screens all day.
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Give yourself a minimum of an hour to wind down from work and responsibilities before you go to bed. I personally prefer 2 hours – do your skin care, read, watch a show etc.
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Treat yourself to a new bath bomb and take a long soak in a hot bath or buy a new body wash and enjoy a soothing warm shower. This can really help to clear your head and make you feel more at ease.
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Allow yourself to rediscover some favourite hobbies of yours that genuinely make you happy. You deserve to do something that puts a smile on your face that doesn’t necessarily have to be a side hustle
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Give yourself a break from reading the news all the time – it’s okay if sometimes it makes you feel overwhelmed and you need to pull back a little. You can always catch up when you feel ready.
As a final parting note, I pray that this article provided some peace of mind and reminded you that your mental health and your state of being always comes first, no matter what, and that even simple pleasures can be the difference between a really positive day and a downright awful one.