The importance of self-care and how to start practising it

The importance of self-care and how to start practising it
The word self-care is thrown around a lot in today’s society. From bloggers to CEO’s, everyone is talking about. You may think it’s just another trend. But what does self-care actually mean? Ellie-Louise Des Baux dives in to explore different types of self-care and why they are all beneficial. 

What is self-care? 

Among the busyness of our day-to-day lives, it’s easy to forget when to slow down and check-in with ourselves. You may find yourself getting burnt out, lacking motivation and not actually getting things done.
It isn’t all manicures and bubble baths (although these are nice). Self-care runs much deeper than most people perceive it to be and in a sentence, we could sum it up as: 

Understanding what you need to thrive, sustain your energy and be happy. 

It’s all about keeping on top of things and understanding your unique needs. 

Why should you start practising self-care?

Along with helping you live a kinder and more balanced life, implementing self-care has endless benefits, including:
  • Improved mental health
  • Improved physical health
  • Reduces stress and anxiety
  • Better relationship with yourself and those around you
  • Improved self-esteem
  • Sustains your energy levels
  • Better performance at work
  • Increased well-being and happiness
Overall, practising self care has a positive impact on all areas of your life. When you feel fulfilled and looked after, it will reflect in your work and relationships with others. 

How to start practising self-care today

The types of self-care are expansive and a few include: physical, mental, social, and spiritual. Each, targets different areas to be aware of and give some loving attention to.


Physical self-care:

If you’re new to the idea of self-care, the physical is a good place to start! You may start with the basics and look at how you can care for your physical hygiene. In fact, if you’re having a low mood day going back to basics can be the kickstart you need.

Try out KiteNest Scrub Up bundle or the Rose geranium soap for the perfect start to your day! It may be exactly what you need to get yourself back on track. Sometimes when we’re feeling down, we’re not feeling ourselves and a freshen up is exactly what we need.

Another key success is getting enough sleep, eating a balanced meal, drinking plenty of water and even taking your medication if you have any. Although these sound like things we should all be doing regardless, it’s so easy to let them slip from our minds.


Physical care extends further than this though; you may be feeling out of touch with other people and seek out human touch - like a hug from a friend or yourself! In addition to touch, movement is just as important. As you probably already know, exercise releases your happiness hormones, known as endorphins, which elevate your mood. Even a walk around your local park will do wonders for your physical health, as well as your mental health! However you choose to move your body is up to you, some ideas include swimming, yoga, walking, running, weight training, and even dancing.

In all, physical self-care is key for staying refreshed, getting your body moving and keeping on top of your game!

Mental self-care:

After lots of campaigns and more people openly sharing their experiences, we are finally seeing a shift in the stigma surrounding positive mental health. In a world that promotes an unhealthy work ethic of working 40+ hours a week and outworking your peers, I’m sure you’ve all experienced burn out once or twice. When you refuse to take breaks, not only will your creativity and productivity suffer, so will your mental and possibly physical health too. So, how can we care for our minds?


Ideas:
  • Journaling and self-discovery
  • Having a day off
  • Working out what your triggers are and working with them
  • Relaxation techniques
  • Learning how to say no
  • Practising gratitude and developing a compassionate mindset
The key to caring for your mind is understanding it and calming it down. I know I said it’s not all bubble baths and manicures, but this is the perfect time for a bath with essential oils and natural salt scrub because it is known to reduce stress. Self-care is whatever you make it and it can be hugely beneficial to have a variety of activities.

Social self-care: 

Your relationships and how you interact with others has a substantial impact on your wellbeing; in fact, having healthy relationships is so important to leading a happy and fulfilled life. From work colleagues, spouses and even social media, it’s in your interest to be aware of how these relationships are affecting your life, both positively and negatively.

Ideas:
  • Set boundaries with people if they are negatively impacting you
  • Setting boundaries with yourself or how you spend your time
  • Limit and control your social media use
  • Develop a healthy support circle

Having an awareness of these external factors and how they affect you will help you determine how you spend your time and with whom.

Spiritual self-care:

This may only apply to a few people, however, spiritual activities can benefit many people, even if you don’t consider yourself spiritual.

Ideas:

  • Mindfulness
  • Meditation
  • Prayer
  • Practising gratitude and developing a compassionate mindset
  • Burning sage
  • Connecting with nature
  • Using essential oils
  • Self-discovery


There are many ways to stay connected with your spiritual interests and this list is just a start. You may choose to use these activities to calm your mind, clear toxic energy or connect to a higher source. If you’re not a spiritual person, you may find mindfulness, meditation, and gratitude exercises are wildly beneficial and can be implemented as part of your mental self-care routine. They will help to ease your mind and increase awareness in your life. 

Doing something good:

Another way to implement care into your life is by showing compassion and care to what’s around us. Positively impacting our peers and world keeps us positive.

Ideas:

  • Shop second-hand fashion
  • Help someone in need
  • Pick up litter
  • Switch your beauty products for eco-friendly options, such as Kitenest and their reusable face wipes
  • Compliment someone
  • Give to charity
  • Walk somewhere, instead of driving

Self care tailored for you

The realms of caring for yourself are expansive and remember, what works for one person may not work for another. To best way to pinpoint what type of self care to turn to and when is by taking regular check-ins with yourself and assessing what you feel is lacking at that moment. Be adaptable and responsive.  Experiment and you will soon find what is right for you.

For more reads more on body positivity, women empowerment and self-care give Ellie a follow on  @ellie_desbaux