A self-care routine is a cornerstone of good health, with activities which enhance your physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. This Valentine’s extend some kindness and devotion to others, but don’t forget yourself! Self-care can be simple to do, especially if you follow these easy, nurturing routines.

What is Self-care?

Self-care, in a nutshell, is making sure you have enough fuel in your internal tank. It’s being self-aware enough that you make sure that you're rested and recharged. This way you don't let yourself try to run on empty. Also, if you do find that aspects of your life are taking their toll on your health, you actively try to address them.

While eating nutritious foods is an example of self-care, your ‘self-care fuel’ extends far beyond what you get from your diet. Taking care of your emotional, physical, financial or spiritual wellness are all aspects of self-care.

Why is Self-care Important?

How was your 2021? Does thinking about it bring you out in a cold sweat? If that's the case then you already know how important self-care is!

A good self-care routine is a way for you to increase your resilience and ability to face life’s challenges as they come. Each time you practice self-care you add another tool to your wellbeing toolkit. With time you develop a sense of when to bend or flex, when to pull out the big guns or be assertive, or even when you need to chill for a moment – perhaps creating a haven where you can spend time on your own and reflect.

Why Self-care Isn’t Selfish

Despite its obvious importance, the idea of self-care isn’t always welcomed. For some people it’s associated with negative thoughts. For instance, they might believe that a self-care routine is indulgent or that it’s a selfish thing to do. Or they might think it's way too time consuming - ‘I haven't got a moment to waste!’ or even think ‘What's the point? I'm only going to do this once. I don't know what the benefits will be.’

It can be useful to compare a regular self-care practice with putting on your oxygen mask in an emergency when you’re on a plane. If you try and assist everyone else before you tend to your needs, you’ll soon be flat out and find it difficult to help others.

Six Self-care Practices to Boost Your Health

If you’re feeling inspired to nourish and restore your body and enhance your well-being tools, then here are some suggestions of self-care routines that you might like to try. There are eight areas of self-care: physical, psychological, emotional, social, environmental, spiritual, professional and financial. What types of self-care activities or routines might you try?

Maintain your focus and practise professional self-care

Where is the line between your work life and your personal life? Is it blurred or not there at all? Work is important but sometimes it can spread out of the workplace and follow you home. Staying in work mode means you never switch your “work-brain” off.

One small change that you might make is having a set activity which marks the end of your workday. This could be a check of your emails flagging those that you need to act on the following morning. Or writing a plan of the tasks that you'll be tackling the following day.

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Relax and sleep after you practise social self-care

As a social animal, contact and connection is what makes you tick. Perhaps it’s time to schedule a call with a close friend?

Even if you're an introvert some regular connection is what helps you thrive. And it doesn’t even need to be contact with a human. Studies have found pet owners to have greater self-esteem, better well-being (particularly when their pets complemented their social needs – think going for a walk with your dog rather than staying at home feeding your fish), and also to be more resilient and less impacted by social rejection). [1]

However as tempting as it may be to be out and about and socially connected be careful not to take it too far. Rest and sleep are also important parts of the equation so balance your periods of sociability with time where you rest and restore.

Try Yogi Relax Organic Tea

Try Better You Magnesium Sleep Lotion

Calm and destress before you practice financial self-care

There's a quote which springs to mind here ‘what gets measured gets improved’ but how does this apply to your finances? Well, say you want to get more in control of your finances, but the thought of your spending patterns makes you clench your teeth and you dread looking at your bank balance. It’s unlikely you can change. If the thought of your current financial reality is this scary, you're denying yourself the opportunity to create something new.

This is where the measuring comes into it. A useful financial self-care practise for newbies could be to simply think about your relationship with money and notice which emotions pop up. Or to check your bank statement once a week. At this point, you certainly won’t be trying to do anything different. But when it does come to measuring you will have rehearsed the first steps involved - being able to look at your bank account without any emotional turmoil.

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Power up to practice physical self-care

There's no escaping the need to move your body - whether it’s for fun, for the challenge, a competition or a fundraising event. Regular activity and exercise are essential elements in a physical self-care routine.

Personally, the idea of going to the gym and using the weight machines bores me to tears. But if I think about going to a body pump class, even though there’s the same challenge and demand on my physical strength the music gets me through. The interactions with the other people in my class will spur me on. My muscles will still hurt afterwards, but while I’m there I’ll have a huge smile on my face. That's the type of exercise routine or activity to introduce which will be down to your personal preference!

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Get creative as you practice psychological self-care

Now, it's time to think mental as engaging in new activities can boost your brain. In fact, the more you explore and create the more you support your psychological health.

So, what new skills do you want to learn? What non-work hobby do you want to try next? Or can you carve out time to sit and meditate? You might be tempted by painting, crafting, learning a language, playing an instrument, or learning the rules of chess? Or you might fancy heading to the kitchen to cook up a storm?

There are some tasty new products at Revital which will definitely tickle your taste buds. Which will you eat first?

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Nurture your body for emotional self-care

Finding a nourishing nurturing practise can really support your emotional self-care. Harmonising and strengthening your thoughts can help you get through moments of stress without feeling mentally frazzled or becoming unravelled.

Rose oil has a history of therapeutic use, as an aphrodisiac for men [2] and women [3], for its anxiety-calming actions [4] and even relieving physical pain [5]. And as we’re thinking of self-care in the month of February, a rose-fuelled practice seems perfectly fitting when you’re focusing on emotional self-care.

Soak, smooth and nourish your body with these rose essentials for emotional self-care.

Try Faith In Nature Wild Rose Body wash

Try Dr Hauschka Rose Nurturing Body Oil

Try Psychic Sisters Rose Quartz Facial Roller

Try Maroma Rose Incense Sticks

Summary

A self-care routine is an everyday essential, particularly as you live through times which bring unprecedented challenges. Practicing routines that increase your internal resources can lead you away from a physical, emotional or mental breaking point. There are distinct areas of self-care to focus on, ranging from emotional, physical, psychological and financial, to professional, social, spiritual and environmental too. You probably wouldn’t want to try and work on them all at the same time. However, small daily practices – such as setting boundaries between work and rest, connecting with friends, getting to bed on time, or even checking your bank account sleep – will soon add up to something big. Sharing some love with yourself can blossom into better health and more enjoyment in life.

References

[1] McConnell et al, 2011 Friends with benefits: on the positive consequences of pet ownership.

[2] Farnia et al, 2015 Rosa damascena oil improves SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction in male patients suffering from major depressive disorders: results from a double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled clinical trial

[3] Farnia et al, 2015 Adjuvant rosa damascena has a small effect on SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction in female patients suffering MDD

[4] Kheirkhah et al, 2014 Comparing the effects of aromatherapy with rose oils and warm footbath on anxiety in the first stage of labour

[5] Marofi et al 2015 evaluation of the effect of Roma therapy with Rosa damascena on postoperative pain intensity

Nina Sabat BscHons DipNT

Nina is a registered nutritional therapist and health advisor for Revital. She is focused on improving everyday wellbeing and loves exploring Revital’s range with clients and customers, helping them find their ‘ideal fit’. For more in depth conversations, you can contact Nina through Revital’s NEW service which offers a meeting on Zoom