Lets talk about self-care

 Self-care is extremely important, but it is so much more than just bubble baths and face mask. For me self-care is making sure that I brush my teeth every morning and evening. For most people this is such a small part of their day that they don't even have to think about it. But for a person with depression this can be a very difficult thing to do and they often have to make a conscious decision to do it first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I have a reminder on my phone to do it as when I am in a depressive state, I can easily forget to do something as simple as this. Self-care is also making sure that I take my antidepressants every day. Without these my depression can become worse very quickly and this in turn affects my anxiety. Self-care is so basic that most people do not even realise that they are even doing it. It can be as simple as remembering to put your deodorant on so that you don't smell when you leave the house, something that we all do every day. But if your suffering with depression it can be difficult to do. The reason for this is that often you do not want to do anything, and you just want to make it through the day, so doing something as simple as this can be extremely difficult. 


Self-care is me making the choice to rebuild my life after going through the toughest times of my life,  it is accepting myself for who I am and ultimately it is making sure I do the basic things that I have listed above. It is important because then when I do take breaks, I do not feel guilty for doing so and I am not doing it because I have burned myself our yet again. I and many others should not feel resorted to self-care because it has now become a trendy topic, it should be done because we want to do it and no one should be resorted to self-care because they are exhausted, it should be part of their day to day life.

I found the first lockdown extremely difficult on my mental health and I struggled to complete self-care. I reminded myself that I do not need to go above and beyond for my self-care and that if doing the minimum is what’s best for me, then that’s what I will do. I made the choice to take care of my basic needs and this helped me to manage my mental health over lockdown. During this second lockdown I am going to do my best to look after myself.  

Self-care is learning how to properly look after yourself, it has less to do with treating yourself and a lot more to do with your all-round health and wellbeing. It is not being around fake friends and keeping in touch with the real ones. It is letting yourself have time away from other people if you need it. It is making sure to figure out where your anxiety is coming from. Self-care is not using your lifestyle as an excuse not to look after yourself, you should love yourself and take care of yourself. You are the hero of your life. 

Self-care is becoming the person you have always wanted to be. Choose a life that feels good not one that looks good. Be honest even if others don't like it. Meet your own needs above anyone else’s. Never become dependent on anyone else. 


Become the person you want to be. 


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