Look after you, self-care isn’t optional, it’s compulsory!

The definition of Self Care is as follows:

“The practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.”

Self-care is about doing what is right for you and not what’s right for everyone else. Sometimes you have to put yourself first and remember not everyone’s idea of self-care might be yours, so my favourite self-care is going mountain biking in the woods,

I’m talking about self-care constantly in our Be Inspired Get Hired Job Search Club. To reduce job search overwhelm and fatigue, you have to be in the right place energetically, and self-care is a huge part of that!

I’ve been putting together the mindset magic and resilience part of our online course, and I do incorporate a lot of self-care into my week because I find it hard to get motivated and moving if I don’t. It keeps me sane. I usually incorporate a run, a couple of cycles along the river and in the forest, into my weekly routine, and I’m happy to say Wye Valley Zumba is back, and to make it even better than it was before, we are doing it outside; it’s so much fun!

My Self-Care Routine

My self-care routine is massive; otherwise, I would have found it difficult to manage lockdown and life. When I was in my 30s and 40s, self-care was optional; in my 50s, it’s compulsory! So here goes …

After over a year’s worth of lockdown, the Easter holidays are over, and it’s been stress awareness month, so I decided to concentrate on self-care last week! I live in the Forest of Dean, and it’s a fabulous place to be able to connect with nature and be outdoors!

Indulge

I went to Float in the Forest for the first time and was slightly nervous but watching the video and understanding what was coming helped me relax into the experience immediately.

I didn’t know what to expect, anyway, it was a magical experience. One of my modules in the Be Inspired Get Hired course is mindset magic, and in the pod, I could make my mind stop racing and switch off. It was a magical experience; my body was utterly weightless and floated on the water. It was an extraordinary and uber relaxing experience. It feels like a wholly decadent and self-nurturing activity, indeed almost womb-like. After my morning run, it was awesome to immerse myself in the water. In terms of relaxing, it’s a fantastic experience, it’s like being in a huge bath, and it feels as though you are floating on top of the water! What a place to meditate and reflect; it felt like my brain had been reset when I emerged, just what I needed.

It was a luxurious experience and felt like a very expensive spa, and I’m so pleased I have had the experience after hearing all the rave reviews. Get there if you can, or follow them on Facebook.

I spent a day at Whatley Manor Spa with a friend last Saturday. It was an extraordinary and decadent experience.  We spent the whole day outside on the sun loungers and had some treatments too. And I was with a friend, in a place which served food and it wasn’t my house or my local park. Completely delightful!

Outdoors

On Friday, some friends asked if I wanted to go to the beach. I had 50 reasons not to go, but because it was my self-care week, I went along, and wow, I’m so pleased I did; I was reset, revigorated, revitalised, and I swam in the sea for the first time this year (wet suit on of course!) It took us an hour to get there, and once again, I wondered why we don’t go very often, so I’ll be going every month from now on!

Self-Care Ideas

Self-care is about looking after your physical and mental health, looking at some of the ideas below, what will you start doing to give you the essential time to look after yourself?

Physical Health

Food and Nutrition 

• Drinks lots of water to avoid dehydration
• Source local and seasonal ingredients from local suppliers on your doorstep
• Cook a nutritional meal or bake bread
• Go out for dinner

Activity

• Find an activity you enjoy rather than feeling you are forcing yourself to do it.
  • Yoga
  • Zumba
  • Walking
  • Running
  • Swimming
  • Dancing
  • Paddle Boarding
  • Cycling
  • Martial Arts
  • Gym

Sleep

• Develop a sleep routine. Make sure you get around 8 hours.  

Mental Health 

• Gratitude, every evening write down 3 things you are grateful for 
• Journaling, write a diary in the evening 
• Meditation, meditate if it suits you. You can meditate during yoga, or cycling in the woods is my meditation too. 
• Yoga helps to turn off a racing brain  
• Listen to some upbeat music 
• Fresh air 
• Get out in nature 
• Read a book 
• Turn off tech 
• Make plans
• Connect with friends and family
• Visit somewhere new

Conclusion

I’m living proof that self-care is essential; without it, I am just not as motivated, productive or happy as when I am making a conscious effort to look after myself. A week of self-care was an indulgence that doesn’t happen very often, but it worked. I have some of me back, I feel reinvigorated and I did some great work last week. I was productive and efficient and as a result, I have more clarity!

 

If you’re ready to find out the Five Secrets to Getting Hired into a Role You Love, click the button below to join our job search club and receive your FREE ebook.

Join Now

---

Further Info

You can follow #BeInspiredGetHired on social media