When life gets busy it can feel as if things are outside of your control. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed – some people can ride the feeling out and let it pass, but some people like myself just need to take a break and just…stop. I’ve seen a huge amount of blog posts and topics surrounding self-care recently; not surprising, seeing as we still riding out the post-Christmas January blues combined with living in a world where a small-handed blown up.
I’ve seen a huge amount of blog posts and topics surrounding self-care recently; not surprising, seeing as we still riding out the post-Christmas January blues combined with living in a world where a racist, sexist, narcissistic is now the leader of the free world. Self-care is needed now more than ever.
Over the past week, I decided to just stop everything and concentrate on myself. I had the flat to myself and during that time, I did absolutely nothing. I stopped. I regrouped. I did things that made me happy. I ate what I wanted and I watched hella Netflix shows. In today’s post, I want to talk to you about the different ways you can practice self-care and why it is so important.

Taking a break from things that stress you out.

Even though blogging is my ‘main’ hobby, sometimes I need to take a break from doing that too. With blogging comes certain expectations and the pressure of having to be ‘on’ all the time. Planning blog posts, planning Instagram posts, updating every social media app so people know you’re still alive, applying tons of makeup for the ‘impromptu’ selfie and countless other things all contribute to stress, as your mind is constantly thinking and planning the next thing. These things come ten-fold especially if you have a full-time job on top of that like I do!
While working hard and staying ‘on your grind’ is great, taking care of your mental and physical health is even more important. You can’t come up with fresh ideas for content and take part in shoots if you’re feeling anxious and lethargic can you? There’s a pressure to always stay current and in the loop with social media and I think we are at a point in history where we are so deep in with technology now that the prospect of having a complete ban on all things social media is probably ridiculous. However it’s okay to remove yourself from social media for a few days and concentrate on other areas of your life. You should never feel guilty for spending time on yourself and you’ll probably find that once you come back from the break, you’ll feel revitalized and full of fresh ideas!
You should never feel guilty for spending time on yourself and you’ll probably find that once you come back from the break, you’ll feel revitalized and full of fresh ideas!

Finding anxiety-free or low anxiety hobbies & being comfortable

While hobbies are awesome in general, if you are someone that suffers from high-level anxiety, it may be good to find hobbies that don’t fuel into it. Things such as competitive sports, blogging or even going to gigs are amazing, but they can cause underlying anxiety. One of the things that can truly take me from within the realms of this world and fill me with complete peace is reading. It’s my favourite thing to do. With reading, I think about nothing else aside from the world in which I’ve delved into. my favourite thing is just find a quiet space with a cup of tea and slice of cake and just read until nightfall. Total zen mode.
Other hobbies that can achieve things are things such as knitting (no, really…it’s fun), cross-stitching, writing poetry or short stories, going for a walk around a big park or the classic sitting-at-home-and- watching-Netflix scenario. I have recently delved back into photography and have had a blast shooting loads of gorgeous women and creating a portfolio, which you can view here! I’ve found it incredibly relaxing.

Food, glorious food.

Now, I know. It’s important to take care of the inside of your body as well as the outside and fruit n’ veg and salads etc are all great for doing that, but sometimes I JUST NEED A BURGER OKAY?! Sometimes I just want a greasy slice (or 6) of Pizza, followed by half a tub of ice cream and a Diet Coke. While this may be counter-productive, I think it’s great to just eat whatever the hell you want to eat when the mood takes you, and not to feel guilty about it.
So what you had chicken and chips? Your body wanted it at the time, so eat it. Junk food is terrible, but we can’t deny it tastes great and the carb-induced nap you get after it is one of the greatest gifts to mankind. I’m not saying eat junk food every day for the rest of your life, I’m saying that if the moment takes you and you’re in a state of mind where you want to eat something that tastes good, do it and don’t feel guilty about it.

Pampering and things.

Everyone loves a good pampering session don’t they? Whether it’s going to a spa or having your own spa day at home, there is nothing more relaxing than soaking in a tub full of sweet smelling fragrances or lathering your body in oils and potions designed to help de-stress your senses. One brand that
One brand that I’ve really been loving recently is The Hayo’u Method, a wellness brand dedicated to helping undo the damaging effects of daily stress. Their products smell ABSOLUTELY DIVINE and it has my bathroom constantly smelling like a Spa. I always try to use natural/organic bath and body products where I can and the mixture of Himalayan Pink Salt, Lotus oil and Frankincense in the De-Stress Bath Salts creates an intense, relaxing aroma that always puts me completely at ease when having a soak.

Writing your stresses away.

Whether it be fictional or personal, writing is an amazing way to help decrease stress as well as fuel your creativity. Diary writing has been amazing in helping me get my thoughts out of my head and keeping a sense of perspective about certain things. The other day I popped into the new Kikki.K store on Covent Garden and picked up this Happiness Journal which is full of tips about understanding your own personal happiness and exercises on how to achieve happiness in each section of your life.

It’s a great book to help keep a track of your own personal goals and to figure out the areas in your life that you can improve in order to achieve happiness.

And finally…sex.

I mean…you know, we’re all grown here (soz mum if you’re reading!) and sex has been proven to help decrease stress. If you can, have it. Loads. if not, Ann Summers currently have a sale on. Get out your credit card and go wild!

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It can be easy to overlook the fact that the only person in control of your life is you. Feeling as if you are living an authentic life is an important part of happiness. If you believe in yourself and your values, your choices reflect this and you feel happier and in control!

How do you practice self-care?