Self Care

As I type this, I’m currently on those bike “things” at the gym because my appearance in the mirror repulses me.

It’s important to take care of yourself both physically and mentally - there needs to be a balance between both, don’t let one suffer because of the other.

1. Eat well - eat lots of veggies, they’re good for you. No seriously, they are. And no I’m not pretending to be your mother but fruit and vegetables contain nutrients needed to maintain a healthy mind and healthy body. Don’t over-do it though, I don’t want to be responsible for your throwing up.

2. Sleep well - catch some zzz’s. You’re no help to anyone or yourself if you are tired. Lack of sleep causes change in mood, concentration and productivity. Aim to sleep at least 8 hours a night and you’ll be well rested - hopefully.

3. Exercise - Yes, take a little jog to the shops, go for a brisk walk, maybe invest in a bike or get off the bus a stop or two earlier. Exercise is known for releasing endorphins which are responsible for that “feel good” feeling. And trust me, we all need a pick me up sometimes. 

4.  Talk to your friends - and I mean really talk to them, let them know how you’re actually doing. It’s better to get things off your chest sometimes and maybe they’ll even give you some advice which could help? Who knows?

5. Ditch the phone! It’s okay to take a break from social media or texting people back. Your true friends will understand. It is an enormous pressure to be expected to reply straight away, as well as upload the most aesthetic pictures to Instagram and to “look slim with a big booty”. None of that is real, the world of the internet does not exist outside of its realms - take a break. You deserve it.

6. Don’t take life too seriously - we all spend most of our time worrying about what people in our jobs really think of us and how we work, but we shouldn’t care. Life’s too short to spend it worrying over mundane things. Let your hair down a little and put away that worrying hat - you’ll thank me for it.

And 7. Which I think is the most important one - don’t be so hard on yourself. We live in a fast pace world and sometimes it’s hard to keep up. That’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up about it - learn from it and keep trying. Nobody here is perfect and we all have our rough patches but the point is we still keep trying. Why do we? Well, because otherwise what’s the point in being alive? We should always want to better ourselves, but not at the sacrifice of our health or social life.