Self-Care Sunday

Google the term self-care and you will find yourself inundated with ideas about how to “put you first for once” and “recharge your mind, body and soul”. Indeed, when I did just that the first article I found gave me 31 self-care ideas!

But self-care is important. To quote my other job:

“Adjust your own oxygen mask before helping others with theirs”.

In an emergency it seems selfish on the surface to ensure you can breathe. And it will feel horrible ignoring your struggling grandma next to you, but it’s necessary. In a decompression you may only have seven seconds of useful consciousness before hypoxia (a lack of oxygen to the brain) takes over, by which point you are totally useless. At a push you may help the people next to you in that moment but that will be it. However, if you use those seven seconds to put your mask on first you can help everyone.

Putting yourself first is not selfish. But it’s not always easy either.

I know I’m not the only one who finds my post-lockdown life busier than it was before the pandemic! More often than not we find ourselves with a couple of hours here and there each week to take for ourselves – how are we supposed to find the time to fit in 31 things for ourselves in that amount of time?!

The key is to break it down. No one should be doing 31 things on a day dedicated to themselves! Everyone’s self-care looks different, so the key is to keep the goals broad and make it work for you. With that in mind we’ve created the Self-Care Six for you to work into your Sunday…

1. Stick the kettle on.

Start your day slow – nothing is a “must” today. Wake up without an alarm, get ready on your own terms, savour that cup of hot tea or coffee rather than taking it round the house with you as you get ready. Sunday is the day of rest, so start as you mean to go on!

2. Exercise and/or connect with nature.

I’m sure I don’t need to be writing about how good exercise is for mental health as well as physical health by now. The same can be said for getting out into nature, so how about some yoga in the garden? A hike through the woods? If you really want then a jam packed HIIT session outdoors! Even just some meditation on the balcony can work wonders.

3. Do something creative.

A self-care Sunday is the perfect time to be trying a creative hobby, even if you’ve never tried it before! Bake that decadent cake! Borrow those knitting needles from Granny! Or maybe you’ve always wanted to try a paint by numbers? There are no rules, but the sense of achievement after creating something from your own hands is one that can’t be beaten.

4. Treat yo’self!

OK maybe not in the extravagant Parks and Recreation way, though if you’re due a shopping spree definitely go all out! But when was the last time you bought yourself a nice bunch of flowers? Or had someone make your coffee for you? You deserve a little treat, go on!

5. Clean something.

The phrase tidy house, tidy mind is a thing for a reason. And maybe you don’t have to clean the whole house, but perhaps there’s a folder on your desk that needs organising? Or sorting out that laundry basket – change those bed sheets and revel in how good those freshly washed ones are going to smell tonight.

6. Plan the week ahead.

Proper preparation and planning prevents poor performance. Six P’s that definitely help me to remember it’s always better to be one step ahead of the game. This could be in a journal, a wall-planner or maybe even just the notes on your phone but find a way of planning things for your week ahead. What meals will you have? Any deadlines coming up?

However you choose to spend your self-care Sundays make sure you’re scheduling them in regularly because remember – you’re of no help to anyone else if your oxygen mask isn’t on properly.