Self-care

Self-care

When we’re busy, looking after ourselves becomes less of a priority, and the things that we need to keep us well are often neglected, pushing us further toward burnout, loss of motivation and ultimately a decline in health and wellbeing.

But why is self-care so important?

We should prioritise self-care for many reasons and below are just a few suggestions to encourage you to take your own wellbeing more seriously if you currently find it on the bottom of your priority list.

Reduce stress and anxiety – A good robust set of self-care practices can help manage and even reduce stress and anxiety

Boost happiness – Looking after ourselves and engaging in activities that simply make us feel good can give a significant boost to overall happiness

Physical health improves – Self-care can reinforce our immune system, improve overall physical health and can help reduce risk of physical health issues in the future

Strengthens relationships – If you feel well, your mood is improved and you will be more open to engaging positively with colleagues, friends and family, enhancing relationships and your support network

Increase self-esteem – Actively looking after your own needs and having them take priority can lead to great sense of self-worth, confidence and life-satisfaction.

Click here to read more about why self-care is important

Now we have our reasons for making self-care a priority, let’s focus on how to do just that.

Schedule it – Book time in with yourself to focus on your needs just like you would any other appointment. It can be the same time every day/week, or it may be fitting in 5-10 minutes here and there throughout your day depending on your hours/responsibilities. It could be sitting in your car 10 minutes before you start work listening to some music and enjoying your morning coffee, taking your lunch break outside for some fresh air and sunlight (weather permitting of course) or putting the kids to bed and then enjoying some quiet time with a book or activity. Best practice is to do at least one thing everyday, minimum an hour a week to maintain wellbeing.

Set boundaries – Learn to set realistic boundaries both in work and at home. Avoid taking on additional optional tasks when asked if it will eat into your free time or put unrealistic demands on you. Avoid scheduling in meetings during lunch hours if possible and suggest others do the same. Boundaries are the centre of a good, supportive workplace culture and can improve the health and wellbeing of teams as well as individuals.

The Mersey Care coaching offer could help you with this

Build healthy habits – Ideally, we wouldn’t want to have to think too hard about self-care and building in healthy habits to your day can help with that. Having a glass of water first thing in the morning, having fruit and/or vegetables handy for snacks during the day, or parking a bit further away from the building to incorporate a few extra steps if you are able, are all easy wins.

There are apps you can use to support healthy habits such as Loop Habit tracker which is free. If you prefer things written down, you can use a diary by writing a list of habits you want to achieve and ticking them off like a to-do list once you’ve done them, and at work you have use Viva Insights through Microsoft Teams to send you reminders.

Start with one small change, don’t overwhelm yourself.

Gratitude – Gratitude can protect us against cynicism, which is a factor in burnout. Take time to write down what you are grateful for today, it doesn’t have to be something big, it could be that you had a cup of tea waiting for you when you woke up, or that the weather has picked up today. If someone in particular has made your day, say thank you, showing appreciation for small acts of kindness not only make you feel good, but offers a boost to the individual receiving the thanks too!

Learn how to Start a gratitude journal here

I’m not sure where to start…

If you’re looking to make some lifestyle adjustments and/or make self-care more of a priority, your Health and Wellbeing team can help you.

Book in for a personal Wellbeing Check-in with one of our facilitators and make that first step toward a healthier, happier life. We will support you in the development of a Wellbeing Action Plan to start your journey.

We can’t make the changes for you, but we can certainly support you along the way.