Hands up if you think self-care is all about taking yourself to a spa retreat or having your nails done? While taking care of yourself CAN look like those things, you don’t have to head out of the house or spend lots of money to practice self-care. There are tons of ways you can take time out and concentrate on your needs everyday - here’s just 10 ideas to get you started:

• Read a book
• Go for a walk
• Make a fancy coffee
• Enjoy a snack
• Look up at the sky
• Do a puzzle
• Complete a home workout
• Sneak in a nap
• Watch your fave show
• Dance to music

Practicing self-care every day is vital to your health and happiness. If you wait until a special occasion to look after yourself, you won’t be getting the most from self-care. By building self-care into daily life, through activities you can easily do at home, you’ll be getting some important benefits every single day. And you’ll feel all the better for it!

6 benefits of self-care

1. Improved health Taking time out to look after your own needs has a positive effect on your overall health and wellbeing. By incorporating exercise into your self-care routine, you will improve your physical health, while taking time out to meditate or do a quiet activity can help maintain your mental and emotional health as well.

2. Reduced anxiety We all lead busy lives, so it's no surprise if you’re struggling with anxiety. Juggling so many balls in the air at any one time, it’s inevitable that we’ll feel stressed trying to keep up with them all. By taking a few minutes each day to breathe deeply, meditate or clear your head with a walk, you’re bound to feel a little less stressed.

3. Self-esteem boost You may be surprised to learn that prioritising self-care can also give your self-esteem a little boost. By valuing your own needs and doing something you enjoy each day, you’ll feel better about yourself and your ability to manage life and everything it throws at you. When you feel better within yourself, you’re bound to feel more confident.

4. Increased happiness It’s obvious that you will feel happier once you allow yourself to have a little ‘me’ time each day. Dancing up a storm with your favourite song or getting the adrenaline pumping with a home workout can’t help but lift your mood. All work and no play is no fun at all. Embracing self-care is sure to make you smile.

5. More focus & clarity We all know that taking a break from work can help us return with renewed clarity and focus. The same goes for taking a break from our busy lives. Whether you get active or slow down for your self-care activity, taking a break from the everyday will help you think more clearly and have the ability to deal with unexpected issues.

6. Better relationships If you show yourself some love through self-care, it’s much easier to love others and meet their needs. Think about it. When you are tired, frustrated and busy, it’s hard not to take out your feelings on those around you, especially those you love. By giving yourself permission to look after your needs, your relationships will benefit too.

Self-care is not a nice-to-have in life and it’s not something you should save for special occasions. Self-care is something we all need to prioritise so we can live our best lives and be the best possible versions of ourselves.

Tell us - what do you do for self-care? We’d love to hear about it!

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