Self-Care Practices for a Happier You

What are your favorite ways to care for yourself?

Slowing down and spending time doing the things you love can boost your mood and bring greater levels of health and happiness. Here are a few ways to up your self-care game.

1 . Write down positive memories 

According to Positive Psychology, writing in a journal can help to ‘shift from a negative mindset to a more positive one, especially about ourselves.’ To improve your self-care routine consider keeping a diary or a journal. Here you can write down positive memories, affirmations, and expressions of gratitude. Prompts to get you started to include:

• Challenge yourself to write down at least one new thing that you are grateful for every day.

• Write down happy memories, things that have made you laugh, or exciting plans for the future.

• Write down positive affirmations about life, or yourself. Examples could include, ‘I can achieve my goals,’ ‘I have confidence in my abilities,’ ‘I can learn if I make mistakes,’ etc.

2. Download self-care podcasts to inspire

To inspire a new self-care routine it can be helpful to download a few podcasts. The following options will give you some great inspiration:

100% Guilt-Free Self Care: This podcast was created to help you ‘live your best life, without feeling selfish or guilty. Here you’ll get plenty of inspiration, learning about the exercises and mindsets you need, to drive positive change.

Gentler, Practical Self Care: Tune in and embark on a journey of personal development, with plenty of practical self-care tips. Recent practical themes have included, ‘How To Get Through The Tasks You Hate’, ‘A Gratitude Approach To Fitness’, and ‘How To Prevent Burnout.’

For further options try podcasts such as ‘Self Care Sunday’, ‘Self-Care Spotlight’, or ‘The Ultimate Journey Of Self Care.’ There are plenty of other resources out there from mindfulness books to mental health apps.

3. Decorate your home to boost wellness

Having a peaceful, calm environment can help us feel more stable and grounded. Keep it simple with a few small changes and upgrades. Declutter your space. Add a few intentional touches to make the space feel relaxing, like a candle or throw rug or house plant. When you are choosing your candles think about candle color meanings, to create the right kind of ambiance.

4. Aromatherapy to relax your mind

One study in the National Library Of Medicine examined the potential of aromatherapy to reduce the effects of stress and anxiety. The study showed that the ‘aromatherapy group showed significantly low anxiety and improved sleep quality.’ 

Aromatherapy can be a great addition to your self-care routine. Essential oils such as eucalyptus, rose oil, lavender, and ylang-ylang are great options for relaxation. There are several ways to use essential oils including, inhaling, diffusing, or applying to your skin. Alternatively, add the oils to your bathwater, and experience relaxation this way.

5. Grow your food to feel nourished

Growing your own vegetables is a great activity to add to your self-care routine. By growing your own foods you’ll be more sustainable, plus you’ll learn new things and nourish your body with healthy foods. The practice of gardening can help to boost your mood and ground your energy.  The Clinical Medicine Journal suggested that ‘several trials have revealed the beneficial effects on mood and mental health of simply observing nature, or even images of natural scenes.’

6. A regular yoga practice 

Science Daily recently reported that ‘Researchers have found that practicing yoga may elevate brain gamma-aminobutyric levels. The findings suggest that the practice of yoga be explored as a possible treatment for depression and anxiety.’ To help you practice yoga you might like to try using the following applications:

• Glo: This is an app for meditation, yoga, and pilates. You can use the app to boost your mental health and your physical health too. Choose from various styles of yoga whether you want to try Vinyasa or Yin Yoga. Users can search for classes by style, teacher, or level of skill.

• The Yoga Studio: The Yoga Studio features plenty of special yoga collections including yoga for mental health, for runners, weight management, or prenatal yoga.

Whichever self-care practices you choose, know that you are worth the time and energy you’re spending on yourself. You deserve to feel amazing!