Homebuilders – Essential self-care

As we head out of lockdown and back into our lives it may be worth taking a minute to ask ourselves how are we at self-care? It would be so easy to fall back into the busyness trap. 

This is driven by living in a fast-paced, hectic world that equates busyness with success; where we have to-do lists as long as our arm and where in many ways we are told to put others before ourselves.

While working hard, getting things done and success are not bad things per se, when we prioritise them above our own wellbeing we run the risk of becoming overwhelmed, lethargic, demotivated and drained. In a nutshell, poor self-care can make us sick.  While lockdown was hard and uncertain, one thing it did bring us was time. So maybe it is time to stop and have a think about what we might do differently to look after ourselves better in the future – to ponder what benefits of being kinder to ourselves might bring over time.
What is self-care? In many ways it is the day to day stuff of looking after our basic needs, but it is more than that. It is knowing that it’s okay to protect our time. It is about not taking on too much; it’s about not feeling guilty about saying “no” or having some “me” time. The benefits are huge. For example, looking after ourselves means we can actually connect better to others, it promotes our potential for self-improvement, it leads us to be more present at work and with our children and families, and, believe it or not, it actually increases our productivity.

Overall self-care is about nurturing our own physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs. In tending to these areas and being aware of when we are doing too much or saying “yes” when we should be saying “no”, we are putting ourselves in a much better place to be there for the other people in our lives that we want and need to support. As the old saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

So, what might your self-care look like? It could be as simple as taking five minutes for yourself in the morning before you rush out the door, it could be going for a walk in nature, it could be meeting up with friends for a coffee, it could be reading a book, writing, drawing, knitting. It’s anything that brings you a little joy or makes you feel a little less stressed. Remember, self-care is about filling up your tank, recharging your battery, but most of all it’s about giving yourself permission to do something just for you. But don’t forget, self-care is a discipline. It needs to be planned for and practiced. If we can commit to look after ourselves day-to-day, we may not run back towards the rush and stress of the busyness trap. 

Liz Griffiths, Family support worker
www.homebuildersfs.org