You're probably wondering why I've decided to base a whole blog on self-care, of all the things I could have chosen. If the last 12 months have taught me anything, it's that self-care is incredibly important and something, I feel, we should all factor into our lives to some extent.
In April 2018, I was diagnosed with not only anxiety, but also depression. It was a 2-4-1 that day when I popped to the GP, but not the kind of 2-4-1 I'm usually open to. Safe to say, it was a pretty crap time- both a terrifying and life-changing experience. I knew I had to re-evaluate all aspects of my life. It is then that I realised I was making absolutely no time for myself. I was committed to everything and everyone else but completely uncommitted to myself and my well-being. I'm not suggesting this was the only thing that led to the situation I found myself in, but it was certainly a contributing factor. So, as my treatment started working and I started to feel more like myself again, I made a promise to myself that self-care was something I would commit to whole-heartedly. I've made plenty of empty promises to myself over the years, such as 'I'll never drink again', but this one I intend to keep.
I should mention that I do not believe self-care is only for people with a mental health issue. I think anyone and everyone could benefit from a little bit of self-care in their life. And don't give me that, 'I'm too busy' excuse. You're telling me you don't have a spare 10 or 20 minutes throughout the day or throughout a whole week? Come on now...
I know when someone mentions 'well-being' or 'self-care' your mind naturally conjures up images of people meditating in a park or popping on a face mask. If that's what you want it to be, of course it can be. However, the beauty of 'well-being' is that it is specific to an individual and it is therefore shaped entirely by YOU.
I'm not a creature of habit. Routine is something I try to avoid, when possible. Just want to take a quick second to point out that even recognising that routine doesn't do me any good is a form of self-care. See! It can be so simple. Anyway, not liking routine means that I often find myself shaking up my self-care regime to find different activities that suit me, so I thought I'd share my findings along the way. Sharing is caring, after all.
Will everything I share on this blog work for you? No, but I hope it might inspire you to explore how you could factor a little bit of tender loving self-care into your life. In the words of... well, everyone these days, TREAT YO'SELF!
So, if you fancy stepping up your self-care game too, come along for the ride. I'll be sharing all the things I get up to on this blog so pop on and take a look as and when you please.
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