12 simple, quick and free self-care activities to help you destress
This summer is going to be a busy one for me so I have made a commitment to focus on self-care. To make it a priory no matter how busy or stressful things get. Often self-care is first to slip off our ‘to-do’ list when life gets busy but it’s actually even more important then as it can help give us the resilience to cope with stressful events.
If we imagine we’re walking around with a bucket and stress is water filling that bucket. Many of us try to stop the water (stress) flowing into our bucket. And that might work for a bit, but often these stressful things are simply beyond our control. So the stress keeps coming and eventually the bucket overflows - leaving you feeling overwhelmed, tired, anxious and low. Self-care is like drilling holes into the bottom of your bucket, allowing a little of that stress to escape, taking a bit of pressure off you and helping you move away from the point of overwhelm.
Self-care doesn’t have to be a big investment of your time or money. In fact little and often is far better than waiting for a whole day when you can indulge in yourself because let’s be honest, how often is that going to happen. Instead, incorporate moments of self-care every day is far more powerful for your health.
10 free self-care activities you could do today
Keep a ta-da list of all the things you achieve in a day - the small things and the big things. Celebrate what you do achieve rather than punishing yourself for the things you don’t do.
Switch off your phone for 1 hour, 2 hours, 1 day even. Give yourself a break from the calls, messages, social media and the pressure of ‘just checking’ so you can give yourself the opportunity to be fully present.
Find a piece of paper and a pen, set a timer for 2-minutes and write down everything in your life you’re grateful for - from the big things like having a roof over your head to the small things that you may normally take for granted like the clothes you have to wear or the soap you can wash your hands with. Gratitude helps to trigger the release of feel-good hormones which lift out spirits - even in the toughest of times, there are still good things happening if we look for them.
Find a safe, quiet space where you can sit with your eyes closed. Take a deep breath in and then sign it out. Then breath in for a count of 4 and out for a count of 8. Making your exhale longer than your inhale helps lower stress hormones in the body and encourages a feeling of relaxation and calm.
Call a friend for a catch up (okay technically you may need to pay for the phone call but if you have free minutes it won’t cost you anything directly!)
Go for a walk, it doesn’t matter how far that is, or where it is, move your body in order to help lower cortisol levels and balance hormones.
Hug a friend or family member - research shows that hugging not only helps to lower stress hormones like cortisol but also triggers the release of feel-good hormones like oxytocin which helps relax the body and lowers anxiety, which in turn can effectively lower blood pressure. And after all this time a hug means so much more.
Put on your favourite song and dance like no one is watching - dance and music both help raise levels of mood-boosting endorphins.
Look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself one thing you’re proud of / like about yourself. If this feels uncomfortable you need to do it even more. We shouldn’t feel icky about congratulating and celebrating ourselves.
Take a cold shower - or if you’re not brave enough for that simply end your shower with a blast of 10-30 seconds of cold water. It’s believed that cold water can help boost your immune system, improve your circulation, boost energy, reduce inflammation and even improve mood.
Sit down and massage your feet / your hands / your temples, you can use oil or lotion if you have some but you don’t need to, you can simply take a few minutes to give your body some TLC. Massage helps promote relaxation by stimulating the release of endorphins and lowering your blood pressure.
Set a bedtime and wake-time each day - this simple habit helps support your natural circadian rhythm promoting better sleep patterns that will support your energy, metabolism and mood. Set your bed and wake times so you’re getting between seven and nine hours of sleep a night for optimal wellbeing.
What are some of your favourite self-care activities - either simple free ones like this or more expensive which help you feel your best?