The first thing to say on this topic is this: You are important. You matter to the world.
Looking after yourself
There will probably be times when you don’t remember this. Other people, or the voice inside tells you that what you want and need is not important. And sometimes they are right, in that moment. Sometimes what others want is more important than what we want. But a healthy life is a balanced life. Different things take priority at different moments. Sometimes we know we need to eat grilled chicken and lots of vegetables. But there are definitely times when only chocolate will do!
So, how do we achieve balance in the way we care for ourselves? The first thing is to believe that ……. You are important. You matter to the world. You are worth caring for and looking after. And we can do things to try and keep that balance. It’s called “self care”. And it’s something most of us don’t do as often as we should. Self care is the things we advise our friends to do when they are down or angry. Self care is listening to what our minds and bodies need before we get overwhelmed by life. Self care is recognising that….. You are important. You matter to the world. Often self care is linked to improving mental health, but it can also be used as a tool to keep everyone’s mood stable and positive.
How you do self care for you might be different to what others will do. Examples of self care are: snuggling a dog, going for a walk, using a punch bag, painting a picture, lighting a candle, spending time with friends, doing some yoga, looking at the stars, playing CandyCrush for half an hour, sleeping, watching a comedy show, dancing. They are usually activities which don’t take very long and aren’t expensive. They are ways to spend your time that brings you joy and rest. Not necessarily rest for your body – you will see that some of the examples listed are energetic, but they can bring rest to your mind.
Experts who know about well-being advise us to do 1 thing every day that brings us joy, or connects us to other people, or just makes us smile. If we do, we are making time for ourselves and this helps to build our resilience, our ability to cope with change and challenge. By spending some time every day on ourselves, we can be more productive, better listeners and achieve our goals.
And what is the final message? You guessed it! You are important. You matter to the world.
Resources for self care ideas:
- NHS advice: https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/youth-mental-health/
- From MIND, a mental health charity: https://www.mind.org.uk/for-young-people/looking-after-yourself/looking-after-your-wellbeing/
- From Young Minds, a charity to improve mental health in young people: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/coping-with-life/self-care/
