“An empty lantern provides no light. Self-care is the fuel that allows your light to shine brightly.” – Unknown
The above quote hit me right in the feels, it really spoke volumes to me and made me think about self-care and how much more of a role it should play in life…not in a selfish sense, but more in the way of finding a balance, equal amounts of give and take – for me this is an essential element to personal mental health and wellness.
Many times, anxiety can take over or you just can’t find the energy to get out of bed. I don’t usually tell many people this but as a sufferer of epilepsy, practising self-care is extremely important to me as I need to ensure my body, mind and soul is at ease and not overloaded with anxiety. Everyone has their own ways of practising self-care but these are my top tips to keeping your body, mind and soul healthy.
GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP
It is a scientific fact that not only is getting enough sleep important but it is extremely vital to EVERY human being and if you suffer from epilepsy like me even more so.
Most nights in order to help get the sleepy tone set, I put a few lavender drops on my pillow and “crank down” the tempo with some relaxing meditation/sleep music. My boyfriend was the one who suggested I sleep with music on to help me “switch off”, as I am prone to overthinking, thus creating unnecessary anxiety/busy brain syndrome which is not good for anyone trying to call it a night. According to The Epilepsy Foundation, ‘’Seizures are very sensitive to sleep patterns. If you have epilepsy, lack of “good sleep” makes most people more likely to have seizures.” As a sufferer of epilepsy, I know I have to ensure I get enough sleep, my brain is always active and full to the brim, so more often than not I find it hard to switch it off…
If you battle to sleep, I can highly recommend both of the lavender music combo…it works wonders for me!
EXERCISING REGULARLY
In addition to getting enough sleep, exercising regularly is the next best thing! I swim twice a week and absolutely love it, for me, it feels as if I am getting an instant therapy session! The feeling of getting into the water and the almost therapeutic “massage” the water gives my body as I swim through it. After a good swim session, my mind and body instantly feels more relaxed.
I have recently just done my first mile swim EVER! It was the most incredible experience…and I cannot wait to do my next one this Sunday! If you have been an avid follower of my blog posts you would know this was a huge tick on my list of goals.
HAVING ME-TIME
I love to have a “me-time” day, all to myself, where I can unwind and recharge my batteries. Unplugging from technology and the world is the best (occasionally when the time is right of course?). I usually hide out in my flat, unplug my phone and read a good book. For me a total switch off/mind stop is being away from the world, shutting out background noise for just a moment and not worrying about what is going on – call it meditation station if u like. I have just recently purchased the Gel-it kit with the UV lamp and that has now formed part of my me-time routine where I can give myself a manicure and pedicure – a little self-care right there!!!
EATING MY FAVOURITE FOODS
There is something about food that I just love. I LOVE to eat, especially my dad’s famous pork belly or my mom’s homemade (with love) chicken curry! For me food is such an essential part of self-care. I am always sure to inhale a “tummy-filling” breakfast every morning, even on busy work days, as this really gives me that extra bit of fuel for the day ahead…other than that everything in moderation, and PLEASE don’t forget to spoil yourself…sharing is caring too – so enjoy food with your favourite company as it makes it even more soul soothing!
MY NOTEBOOK
I do not go anywhere without my notebook, it is the one thing that keeps me motivated and prepared for anything – which I have written about in my previous blog post. You can read about it here. I feel instantly better when I plan out my day or when I note important things down. It’s my way of controlling my schedule and the goals I have set out for myself. This helps me to acknowledge and understand what my priorities are and what I have accomplished in my day. I would say my notebook is one of the best things in my life to help me with keeping my mind healthy and organised.
KEEPING A REGULAR ROUTINE
I had recently broken away from my usual morning routine and it left me in a hot mess!! Let me tell you…I felt more anxious than usual and couldn’t understand why, until I stumbled upon this incredible blog post by Imagine Me on why a morning routine is so important. It then dawned on me that a regular morning routine is actually extremely vital to self-care and finding a balance in our lives. I have, since reading this article continued keeping up my morning routine and so far, so good! Having this has helped me feel that little bit more accomplished before I have even “officially” started my day.
Taking care of your body, mind and soul should really be a number one priority for getting things done…but oddly enough, self-care is the first thing to go out of the window with these crazy times we call being an adult.
If you feel like you just do not have the time to slot in a bit of self-care or you have simply forgotten what it means to take care of yourself, then I hope these points will help you in the journey to finding your own balance.
I would LOVE to hear from you about the small things you do to keep balanced. Pop them into the comments section below…life lessons come every day – so please do send some my way!!!