In today’s blog Kirsty looks at an aspect of self-care… in the form of treating yourself!
A treat, for myself? What on earth is that? – Sound familiar? I hear you! I don’t know about you guys, but a treat for myself is very rare. But why is that? Well having thought about this a lot recently I’ve come up with the following “excuses”.
- I have other people to put first. I’m a mum. The children are my priority, and their needs must be put before mine.
- Time. Who has time to themselves these days? Life is so hectic!
- Money. Especially at the minute, we are all noticing the impact of increased cost of living, rising energy costs, extortionate fuel prices. Who can afford to treat themselves?
- Guilt. I guess this, for me at least can be linked back to number 1. Mum guilt. Why am I doing something for me when I could be doing it for the kids. Buying nice clothes? Kids need them more than me. A nice day out? The kids would benefit from that, and so on..
The list could literally go on and on. I recently bought myself a spa day voucher because it was discounted. I say recently, this was months ago, and in fact is dangerously close to expiring. I keep telling myself I need to book it, otherwise it was a huge waste of money (money that I just can’t afford to waste). And why haven’t I booked this yet? I refer you back to the above list!
So why shouldn’t we treat ourselves? Why is it so important to have some ‘self-care’?
First of all we need to discuss self-cares, in itself. There is a common misconception that this has to mean something indulgent, a luxurious spa day (please disregard my spa example above ha), pampering yourself, wellbeing holidays etc and it can often be viewed as a ‘selfish’ act. But this is simply not the case.
Active minds [1] define self-care as meaning things that we do to take care of our minds, bodies and souls by engaging in activities that promote well-being and reduce stress. They state that by doing this you are reminding yourself (and others) that your own needs are actually valid and a priority. Yes, you may have other people relying or dependent on you but consider this. How are you expected to do your best for them, when you are not caring for yourself properly? If physically, and mentally you are struggling yourself, this is going to impact on others.
AS mentioned above, self-care is not selfish, and does not have to be some indulgent or expensive activity. (That’s not to say that you shouldn’t occasionally do this and ‘treat’ yourself. Afterall its just that. A ‘treat’. Not something that you do regularly. And given everything mentioned above, an occasional treat is NOT a bad thing, and will do wonders for boosting that thing we call well-being! )
What can we do to promote our self-care? Well, here are just a few examples. (Remember, it should be doing something YOU enjoy!)
Physical examples
- Cooking
- Sleep!
- Reading
- Taking a walk
- Exercising
- Treat yourself to new clothes or makeup, go shopping!
- Eat your favourite food! Keep hydrated
- Try a new activity
Emotional examples
- Meditate
- Listen to music
- Keep a journal (this is so therapeutic for me!)
- Do Yoga
- Spend time in nature
- Talk to a friend
- Practice deep breathing
Again, the lists could go on and on, but you get the picture. Take time for you. Do things you enjoy.
And that treat word again? It’s all about moderation. There is absolutely nothing wrong with indulging in a treat every now and again. In fact, it is so so important! This will boost your mental wellbeing, reduce those stress levels, and most importantly – prevent burnout!
I hope what I have written today makes sense and encourages you to take more time for you! You DESERVE it!
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Author: Kirsty
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References
1. Active Minds. Self-Care – Active Minds Accessed 1st May 2022.
