5 Things I’m Doing For Self-Care In The New Year

When the days are cold, dark and busy, I feel it’s extra important to look after myself well. Winter blues is a condition that rears it’s ugly head in my life every now and then, but the cold season becomes much more bearable when I prioritise self-care. Today I’d like to talk you through five things I’m currently doing in the self-care department to feel as good as possible. These are really the basics that you need to set you up for a comfortable, healthy lifestyle, but it’s good to be reminded of them every now and then and I certainly needed a kick in the butt to get all of these straight again. Thanks, new year, for taking care of that.

Taking Breaks

Winter is a wonderful time to get a lot of work done. I don’t know about you, but when I look out the window and all I see is a dark grey sky and all I hear is the sound of wheels on wet concrete & strong winds, I’m not exactly tempted to spend all afternoon reading in the park like I am in summer. However, I do tend to put too much pressure on myself to get the most done in the least time, and feel really guilty if I don’t manage to tick off all my to-do’s (which I often don’t, because overwhelm kicks in as can be expected). It’s incredibly important to take regular breaks and get enough time away from both work work and house work, to just take some time for yourself. I try to limit the time I work in a day to normal working hours, and take at least two short (half an hour to an hour) breaks within that time period. Weekends are a weekly two-day break from work at least, and I have a few outings planned this winter that’ll take me out of my normal environment completely. First on my calendar is a weekend away in nature with Robbert, which I’m really excited about. Not only will taking breaks give your brain the chance to catch up and refresh, you’ll also end up being much more productive.

Exercise

I’ve always been someone who disliked any and all types of exercise, and the thing I needed in order to finally get moving and stick to it was a change of mindset. As of last year, I no longer see exercise as something that’s forced upon me or something that’s driven by fear (if you don’t exercise, you’ll be fat/unhealthy/prone to disease). Somewhere, sometime, a little switched flipped in my mind and I decided to work out on my own terms, at my own pace and just for me. I joined a gym for the first time this year which will allow me to exercise even when the weather is bad, so I’m really excited to see how it’ll make me feel throughout the year. I truly believe that having a healthy body helps you have a healthy mind, and it’s something I’ve experienced countless times before. Making time to exercise is probably the best decision I’ve made all year and has helped my mental health a lot. Nothing clears the mind like working up a sweat, if you ask me!

Good Food

Like most people probably have, I’ve indulged in a lot of delicious but less healthy food over the holidays. Cookies and desserts, fried food, quick & easy takeaway, heavy meals, alcoholic beverages, and more non-plant based food than I’d like to admit. I enjoyed it to the max, but I did notice changes in my body. I felt lazy, lacked energy, and even broke out for the first time in years. Starting on New Year’s Day I went back to eating fully plant-based at home, cooking fresh meals daily, having veggies with lunch and fruit with breakfast, and I feel so much better now. It really does make a difference. The biggest way I try to encourage myself to eat healthy food is by making sure it’s the only thing at hand. I have a fridge stocked with fresh fruits and veggies, we have whole wheat dark bread and crackers, soy yogurt and unsweetened muesli… The holiday sweets and leftovers are almost used up and we’re back to enjoying those with moderation.

Sleep

I can’t stress enough how important it is to get an appropriate amount of sleep. I personally notice changes straight away when I don’t get enough sleep even one night. Waking up well-rested and ready to tackle the day is the best feeling ever and I don’t see any reason why whe shouldn’t experience that every day. Try to make sure you get around 8 hours of sleep every night, and if you can, train your body to wake up on its own. Go to bed at the same time every night and set an alarm clock 8 hours later. If you’re consistent, chances are you’ll start waking up at that time naturally, which is much more pleasant than waking up to the sound of an alarm clock. Make yourself comfortable at night by investing in a comfortable mattress, pillow and duvet. Try to stay away from screens at least half an hour before you go to sleep, and make sure to activate night mode on all your tech.

Forgive & Thank

The last of my points has to do with mindset again. I’m trying to be much more forgiving towards myself and others, and to be grateful for everything and everyone I have in my life. When something bad happens it’s necessary to take action of course, but once a situation has been resolved, there’s no point holding grudges. Being angry at yourself for not meeting a deadline isn’t going to help you finish your next task any faster. Resenting someone over something they messed up won’t make you any happier, and probably won’t affect them at all (or not in a positive way, in any case). I’ll admit this is something I struggle with but I’m going to try to let go of grudges more quickly and completely, and focus on gratefulness instead. It’s easy when you get used to the situation you’re in, to start taking things for granted which really are quite exceptional. Taking a step back every now and then to realise how many good things you have in life is an amazing way to instantly boost happiness.