We often tell ourselves we don’t need self care, and we don’t deserve it. That it’s pointless and self-indulgent. Self-care is not always easy especially when our self-worth is on the floor, making time to nurture ourselves often feels like an unnecessary effort.
Top Tips for Self Care.
For lots of people who experience low moods, getting a good night’s sleep can be a big problem. There’s a very close relationship between mental health and sleep and poor sleep leads to worrying, worrying then leads to poor sleep, Routine is so important. Before bed try and do something calming, such as listening to relaxing music or having a bath. Visualisation is great too, you could try picturing a scene or place that has nice memories for you. Meditation is one of my faves, I very rarely nod off to sleep without doing one of my sleep meditations, there are some great apps out there for this and I highly recommend the Buddify app.
Keep active. I know that the word active can send shivers down your spine when you are feeling so low, and exercise can be a real challenge, you can start gentle, Swimming, yoga, or even small walk to the end of your street can really boost your mood.
Be Kind to yourself. If you need me time, take me time. You really are worth every single minute. If you don’t manage to achieve your goals for the day, don’t beat yourself up, if you don’t do something you had planned that is ok too. Try and treat yourself like you would treat your best friend. Being kind to yourself Is so very important.
Question your thinking. Try making a list of why you feel depressed, then ask yourself what can you change? How can you change it? Try keeping a diary, it can help you keep track of any changes in your mood, you might even find that you have more good days than you think.
Try new things. Go on I dare you…… Trying new things whether it be food or a hobby can help boost your mood and break unhelpful patterns of thinking.
Take small steps. Wishing you could just hide under the covers all day is OK, start small, maybe just start with a big stretch, make yourself a cup of tea and sit in your favourite chair whilst looking out of the window, try and see something good, is there a bird, a tree, a flower.
Talk to friends This one can be a little bit tricky especially if you are suffering from extremely low moods/depression. Most friends just want you to feel better, so they often make suggestions that can sometimes make you feel more inadequate. They are coming from a good place and It’s absolutely OK to ask a good friend to just listen to you and only make suggestions if you ask for them. It’s also OK not to talk.
Affirmations. Positive affirmations are so much more than just feel-good quotes and positive statements. Positive affirmations are statements that are spoken out loud , and often repeated, to encourage and uplift the person speaking them. Affirmations can help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts These positive mental repetitions can reprogram our thinking patterns so that, over time, we begin to think – and act – differently.
One in 5 of us will experience depression at some point in our lives, If you’re struggling with difficult feelings, and you can’t talk to someone you know, Please contact a helpline there are many helplines you can contact. These are not professional counselling services but the people you speak to are trained to listen and could help you feel more able to cope with your low mood. Your GP is often the first port of call and may refer you for suitable (usually free) treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy, counselling, mindfulness meditation or exercise programmes. They might also suggest prescribing antidepressants. support groups like CALM, Depression Alliance and websites such as www.healthtalkonline.org are available to find out what others with depression have been through and how they dealt with everything.
Depression is a treatable chronic condition and, although it may not feel like it there are always treatments and therapies available. The most important thing to remember is that you ARE NOT ALONE. Help is out there and there is always hope.
I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains – Anne Frank
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According to drink aware regularly drinking above the low risk drinking guidelines of 14 units a week is linked to symptoms of depression. However, it can be difficult to know whether drinking is the cause of these symptoms or whether the symptoms of depression are leading to harmful drinking. Alcohol affects the systems of nerves and chemicals, in the brain and body, that help to control our mood2, so cutting back or stopping drinking can help to improve mood. The sober experiment can help and support you to change your relationship with alcohol for good.
Article Source: Lisa Elsworth (Co-Founder of Bee Sober)
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