SHOULD WE ALL REALLY BE DOING SELF-CARE?

The Self-Care retail market is expected to really grow, the hashtag has 23.1 million posts, and we’re betting you may have even added to the hashtag yourself. But what is self care? Is it the latest buzz word? And can it really be as simple as taking ten minutes in a bubble bath? Oh and does getting your nails done and sipping matcha tea count?

“Self-care is health care – it’s tending to your mental, emotional and physical health,” says Suzy Reading, Psychologist and author of The Self-Care Revolution. “There has been a real shift in awareness about what it takes to be healthy. Due to a more open and honest dialogue around mental health we are now aware that we need to be nourishing ourselves mentally and emotionally.”

“It’s so simple,” continues Suzy, “self-care helps us cope in the moment, it helps us restore, it boosts our resilience and helps us tap into our best self… our health is our greatest asset. Without it what do we have?”

We have to agree. All hail the mantra small steps big difference. Wellbeing for us starts with the little moments of wellbeing (or self care). So we’ve ripped up the rulebook that says wellbeing HAS to be complicated or take hours and hours.

BUT, how can we all add some self-care into our daily lives? “It needn’t be yet ANOTHER thing to add to your day. My favourite way of engaging in self-care is to look at things I am already doing and seek ways to imbue them with greater tenderness and presence, like the way I apply my moisturiser, devouring a podcast on my commute, or imbibing the scent of my NEOM Body Wash in the shower. All simple and accessible but deeply potent ways of infusing our lives with nourishment.” Says Suzy.

But does that matcha tea and a bubble bath count? Suzy’s expert view is as long as we enjoy it and feel soothed then it counts. “But don’t equate self-care with pampering acts, sometimes it’s the last thing you feel like doing! Self-care is about being responsive to our needs so sometimes that will involve slowing down and engaging in restorative practices, other times it calls on us to step up and take action.”

So in summary, a regular cup of Yorkshire tea will do the same job. And YES a soak in the tub is fine too because it’s the benefits of those every day little things we enjoy that count as self-care, and according to Suzy make us generally better people. “We are all kinder, more compassionate and resilient people – this is the gift of self-care and it is a true win win.” 

5 easy self-care steps to do today

A breath reboot
Simply breathe on the tube/bus/in the car - in for 7 out for 11 (balancing out our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems). Keep a series of guided meditations on your phone – some as short as 2 or 5 minutes – to regain focus and calm. If you need to, escape to the loo and take it with you – just sit, listen, breathe. Happy Not Perfect is pretty good.

Detox from tech
At night switch that bedtime Instagram scroll for a page of a book.

Make a play date
One of the first things to get shelved when we become ’proper’ grown-ups is the wonder of doing the fun and playful stuff. We tell ourselves that it’s no longer important, or that we just don’t have the time for having a laugh with friends or doing something we enjoy.

Take 10
If you live and work in a built-up area, make the most of a river path, garden, communal square, local park or treelined street and take 10.

Soak
Yep we said it because it’s one of the easiest things to do tonight. Switch the quickie shower for an extra 5 and take to the tub. Why not throw in some essential oils and listen to a podcast too?

Check her Suzy Reading, mother of two, an author, Chartered Psychologist and Coach HERE. She specialises in self-care, helping people manage their stress, emotions, and energetic bank balance.