Self Care and You

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We are part of a society, part of a lifestyle that tries to tell us that so many things matter, and so much is important to us; we see mundane, everyday things as the be-all-and-end-all of our lives and sometimes we forget that the most important thing is us. We are here, breathing and living and sometimes, we really just need to be nice to ourselves. 

I'm writing this post on Thursday 12th January, and it's due to be published on the 19th. Today I phoned my workplace to tell them that I'm sick. This is true. I feel awful for calling in, but I really couldn't face spending eight hours surrounded by people, when I've not had a day off in almost nine days. I completely know that it was wrong of me to take a day off, but I was so scared of having a panic attack, I just knew it was better for me to spend a day at home in peace. 
It's also sort of condescending of me to be writing about being nice to yourself when I don't do this. I honestly thought I could cope with working/going to college for thirteen, perhaps fourteen days straight. But I realise now, no one is invincible, and this is a mean feat for even those who are used to working long hours, or a lot. The first part of self care is realising that you are not invincible, and you cannot survive the world without a break. 

Next, you need to know how you best relax, and what times you have to do so. For example, a thirty minute lunch break is the perfect time to treat yourself to some yummy food, an hour's bus ride could perhaps mean reading a few chapters of your favourite book. If you have an evening every other week, turn it into a nice pamper evening; run a bubble bath, have a nice drink, then put on some nice pyjamas and watch a movie. Treat yourself. 

Everyday life is overwhelming, and if you are anything like me then you'll tend to focus on all that is overwhelming you, rather than the things you can do to keep these negative emotions at bay. I really can't stress enough just how important it is for you to take some time to yourself. Please. 

Mental health, and promoting good mental health are becoming much more of a focus now, and it's important to be aware of just how you're feeling. If you're overwhelmed, or stressed, anxious, or really sad, it's completely okay, and so many people will be feeling, or have felt the same as you. I want you to understand that you can make it through whatever it is you're struggling with, you just need to give yourself time, and be kind to yourself. 

 I want to explain to you that at the end of the day, you're the one that's going to carry yourself through thick and thin, and life has a way of throwing some pretty nasty things at us. You need to take care of yourself, so that you can cope. No one can keep going forever; we're only human and emotions get to us. It's okay. Let yourself feel, let yourself cry/laugh/sleep. Do whatever you need to do in order to feel more like the you that you're used to. 

Self care, and taking some 'me-time' isn't selfish, you aren't letting anyone down if you can't make it to work/school/that meeting/whatever. 

Be kind to yourself. 

- Dottie x