Self-Care Challenge

Orphia

“Self-care” is about doing things that help you feel less anxious, more Zen.

Self-care is something everyone needs.

Check in here to get ideas from this list and share how you’re working on feeling better about life.
Reading posts from others also helps us learn ways to thrive.


Firstly, some suggestions for when we’re struggling:

https://themighty.com/2018/08/realistic-self-care-ideas/

• Get out of bed.
• Brush your teeth.
• Wash your face.
• Shower, even if you just get in and rinse off! The water might feel amazing for you.
• Eat something. Even if it’s just a cracker or some bread. Just get something in your belly!
• Walk out onto your back porch. Stand there for 10 seconds and then if you want, go back inside. Great job, you made it outside! If you feel like it, take a short walk. Get some sunshine!
• Put on your favourite TV show or movie.
• Check your email and clear your inbox. Respond to anything that is important.
• Change your sheets.
• Check your actual mail.
• Stay hydrated. Fill up a water bottle and keep it close by.
• Take your medication.
• Stretch. This can be a small quick stretch on the couch or some yoga.
• Check your text messages and answer those from people who are important or worried about you.
• Pay any bills you might have to avoid late fees.
• Change your clothes if you didn’t when you first got out of bed.
• If you have a pet, make sure they are good on their food and water. Nothing feels worse than your pet having an empty water or food bowl and you not being aware of it!
• Do a creative hobby that you like.
• Open up the blinds to let the light come into your house.
• Watch a funny video. Laugh.

Here are some more self-care ideas:

• Tidy a space – a table, a drawer, a cupboard.
• Discuss what feelings or insights you both had today with a loved one, without gossiping.
• Watch a TED talk or YouTube instructional video about something you wondered about recently.
• Go outside for a walk or a bike ride, or to just sit, and enjoy the outdoors.
• Enjoy your time on social media without feeling guilty or rushed. Use it as downtime and as a treat.
• When scrolling on Facebook and you see something or someone that always annoys you, let it go and unfollow them.
• Smile.
• Edit a photo, draw a picture, write about your thoughts.
• Do an exercise you love.
• Breathe in for 3 seconds, hold for 2, then out for 3 seconds, hold for 2. Do this 10 times.
• Try a new recipe.
• Stretch.
• Say no to something without feeling guilty.
• Go to bed on time.
• Give someone a compliment.
• Contact an old friend and ask them something you’ve been wondering about them.
• Go for a walk at lunch instead of sitting or shopping.
• Make a sandwich or bring some leftovers to work for lunch for once if you always eat out.
• See how much you can save one week/day by not buying coffee or eating out, and put that money in your retirement fund or savings account, even if it’s only a small amount.
• Trim your fingernails and/or toenails
• Make that medical appointment you’ve been putting off
• Visit an online energy company comparison platform to see if you’re able to save on bills by switching providers
• Meal prep or plan recipes for your lunches and/or dinners
• Schedule a block of time on the weekend and plan some self-care or meetup with friends to look forward to.

Some ideas for your list of “Absolute Nos”

https://psychcentral.com/blog/3-self-care-strategies-to-transform-your-life/

Don’t rush.
Don’t spend more on your credit card than you can repay at payday.
Don’t gossip.
Don’t answer the phone during dinner.
Don’t go to bed late and don’t sleep in.
Don’t buy things you don’t have space for.


And some great advice on Sleep Hygeine.
Good sleep could possibly be the most important way to improve how we feel the next day.

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/sleep-hygiene

‘Sleep hygiene’ means habits that help you to have a good night’s sleep. Common sleeping problems (such as insomnia) are often caused by bad habits reinforced over years or even decades. You can dramatically improve your sleep quality by making a few minor adjustments to lifestyle and attitude.

Obey your body clock

The body’s alternating sleep-wake cycle is controlled by an internal ‘clock’ within the brain. Most bodily processes (such as temperature and brain states) are synchronised to this 24-hour physiological clock. Getting a good sleep means working with your body clock, not against it. Suggestions include:
Get up at the same time every day. Soon this strict routine will help to ‘set’ your body clock and you’ll find yourself getting sleepy at about the same time every night.
Don’t ignore tiredness. Go to bed when your body tells you it’s ready.
Don’t go to bed if you don’t feel tired. You will only reinforce bad habits such as lying awake.
Get enough early morning sunshine. Exposure to light during early waking hours helps to set your body clock.


Improve your sleeping environment

Good sleep is more likely if your bedroom feels restful and comfortable. Suggestions include:
Invest in a mattress that is neither too hard nor too soft.
Make sure the room is at the right temperature.
Ensure the room is dark enough.
If you can’t control noise (such as barking dogs or loud neighbours), buy a pair of earplugs.
Use your bedroom only for sleeping and intimacy. If you treat your bed like a second lounge room – for watching television or talking to friends on the phone, for example – your mind will associate your bedroom with activity.


Avoid drugs

Some people resort to medications or ‘social drugs’ in the mistaken belief that sleep will be more likely. Common pitfalls include:
Cigarettes – many smokers claim that cigarettes help them relax, yet nicotine is a stimulant. The side effects, including accelerated heart rate and increased blood pressure, are likely to keep you awake for longer.
Alcohol – alcohol is a depressant drug, which means it slows the workings of the nervous system. Drinking before bed may help you doze off but, since alcohol disturbs the rhythm of sleep patterns, you won’t feel refreshed in the morning. Other drawbacks include waking frequently to go to the toilet and hangovers.
Sleeping pills – drawbacks include daytime sleepiness, failure to address the causes of sleeping problems, and the ‘rebound’ effect – after a stint of using sleeping pills, falling asleep without them tends to be even harder. These drugs should only be used as a temporary last resort and under strict medical advice.


Relax your mind

Insomnia is often caused by worrying. Suggestions include:
If you are a chronic bedtime worrier, try scheduling a half hour of ‘worry time’ well before bed. Once you retire, remind yourself that you’ve already done your worrying for the day.
Try relaxation exercises. You could consciously relax every part of your body, starting with your toes and working up to your scalp. Or you could think of a restful scene, concentrate on the rhythmic rise and fall of your breathing, or focus on a mantra (repeating a word or phrase constantly).


General Sleep Hygiene suggestions

Other lifestyle adjustments that may help improve your sleep include:
Exercise every day, but not close to bedtime and try not to overheat yourself – your body needs time to wind down.
Try not to engage in mentally stimulating activities close to bedtime. Use the last hour or so before sleep to relax your mind.
Don’t take afternoon naps.
Avoid caffeinated drinks (like tea, coffee, cola or chocolate) close to bedtime. Instead, have a warm, milky drink, since milk contains a sleep-enhancing amino acid.
Take a warm bath.
Turn your alarm clock to the wall. Watching the minutes tick by is a sure way to keep yourself awake.
If you can’t fall asleep within a reasonable amount of time, get out of bed and do something else for half an hour or so, such as reading a book.
If you have tried and failed to improve your sleep, you may like to consider professional help. See your doctor for information and referral.

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Hope you find these tips helpful!

What will you try this week?
What will you try today?

Orphia

This week I've been consciously working on my sleep hygiene.
It really is an all-day effort, making sure you get enough exercise (but not too much) early in the day, then start winding down and stop using electronic devices before it's too late in the evening.

Susieq_1994

This post is awesome. I've had a ton of stress lately (really bad stuff happening with my family back home) and I've been going up and down from panic and anxiety and jitters to a deep, depressed funk. I'll be trying some of these.

SarahsBestLife

I am not in any way practiced at self-care. I am well-versed in self-loathing, and so I think this challenge is made for me. My therapist brought it up again this week, and I groaned, because I know I *should* care for myself, but I don't. And I don't know why. Everything comes back to self-care, and it's frustrating because no matter what I do, I can't seem to make self-care work for me. I love the suggestions above, and will be trying them out one at a time. Small steps, right?

Lucinda_Sue

A self-care technique I am working on is to give myself a compliment, a verbal pat on the back, whether for catching a lie I tell myself and correcting it (i.e. you're stupid, ugly, idiot, blah blah blah ... you get the picture) or for something I did well (i.e. setting and maintaining healthy boundaries).

It's very easy for me to sincerely compliment others. I need to learn to treat myself as well as I treat others.

Thank you for this challenge!

Orphia

Hi, and thanks, @Susieq_1994

@AdorableWarrior I hear you!

And @Lucinda_Sue too!

I think we all are full of self-doubts. I'm learning that that's what keeps us alive in some respects - learning not to make mistakes again and get killed by wild beasts on the savannah, or get kicked out of our tribe.

But when we feel tired especially, we can think everything is a mistake!

We can learn to use IF>THEN with these.

IF we feel bad in some way, and THEN we can try something from the list.

Hopefully those first attempts will become more like second-nature.

Orphia

Today I'm tired because I didn't sleep much due to my mind thinking of things to do in the middle of the night before a trip away, so I got up and did a very boring filing job that made me tired enough to sleep some more.

I followed the sleep hygiene routine and still got up at my usual time. I read that that's when we have more cortisol (stress hormone) active, so it's pointless to use it on worrying.

I got up and went for my usual Sunday run, except I cut it shorter so I didn't over-tire myself. I've got some nice things done today, including making myself high fibre, blueberry and nut pancakes for lunch, and some oat bars to have for breakfast.

I can enjoy the rest of the day and relax now without feeling guilty (hopefully ).

Adulting! If I could see me now from 5 years ago.

SarahsBestLife

Today I went to church, and then spent the rest of the day cleaning the house, going through the children’s clothes. Not exactly self-care, but getting through the clothes feels good.

Orphia

Good work. Decluttering and recycling/reusing/repair/repurposing is a huge part of self-care.