.png)
Those of you that know Sass from SelfCare Psychology will know that she never misses an opportunity to hail #SelfCareRevolution. And I for one am 100% behind the idea. We need it!
Self care for me was never a priority. I didn't give it much consideration, if any at all. My priorities were always to my family, their happiness and striving for success through work.
In fact other than family my work really was everything. And it was easy to make work “my life” because I’ve always chosen careers that I love. Followed my heart you might say, something instilled in me by my mother, a free spirited and passionate artist. Now that might sound perfect but when you're doing something you love, when do you switch off? Never is the answer. And especially when you're self employed.
I’ve met an abundance of entrepreneurs, self employed and passionate people over the years, who’s careers are in fact vocations, who simply can’t switch off. There’s always something to do, somewhere to be and when you think your works done for the day, you get that spark of an idea that you just have to run with, or you simply can’t sleep for the thoughts running through your mind.
The truth is there's always something more to do, which means self care needs to be an even bigger priority.
Simply, SelfCare needs to be something you make a concerted effort to include.
If you've decided it’s time to make self care part of your life but you’re unsure where to begin, here’s a few simple ideas to get you started.
Add to your list
Add Self Care to your to do list. Now it may feel counterintuitive to add yet another item to your list but for self care newbies, this might well be the best first step. At least until self care becomes a natural and routine addition to your work life balance.
The simple things
Choose something simple. The simplest of ideas are often the easiest to keep to, so start small. Something that takes little time and effort. Taking a mindful moment to yourself each day to relax over a cuppa perhaps. No phones, no work talk and definitely no work planning. This moment may well open your mind to more #MeTime opportunities.
Saying no
Learn to say “thanks but no thanks, I don't fancy that right now” when you really don't want to do something. It’s not always easy but sometimes self care needs to begin with you putting your needs first.
Take a break
Take a social media break. For most of us social media is a constant in our lives, so much so that very few would even consider taking a break but it’s so worth it. Freeing your mind from the constant and often trivial input by temporarily deleting those social media apps or silencing notifications can have huge benefits to our wellbeing. Often freeing up time we didn't even know we had.
Get outside
The benefits of a walk in the countryside or at the very least somewhere green and pleasant has been well documented but when you're busy - busy - busy it may be the furthest thing from your mind. Something reserved for dog walkers and prolific hikers. Though fast becoming the next big wellbeing trend is Ecotherapy and with the potential to improve both mind and body it’s an all round self care winner.
"Remember, SelfCare is personal - the only essential factor in my book, is you enjoy it"
Dionne Davies is the CoFounder of The Counsellors Café and creator of the beautiful C.C Magazine website. Terrible at delegating, when she's not working at T.C.C or spending time with family, you'll find her immersed in our Café culture. Enjoying a little #MeTime over a Latte at one of her favourite coffee houses, whilst reading a magazine or exploring a local antique shop. Searching for her next unique find.
Get in touch with Dionne via Twitter@CounsellorsCafe or The Counsellors Café Magazine site, she's always happy to connect.
