We are spending a lot of time with ourselves at the moment and there’s no time quite like now to boost or maintain our self love. The way we nurture the relationship with ourselves has a domino effect to mood, happiness, confidence and our relationships with those around us. Pulled together from years of coaching, here’s some ideas on how to boost and maintain self love during these socially distant times.
Engage in Self Care Activities (even if they aren’t fun)
So many people attribute self care to squares of dark chocolate and bubble baths, however true self care balances our urges to do just the ‘fun’ bits. Self care includes financial planning, exercising even when it’s cold or rainy, meditating when you’re rather sleep in, creating and working towards goals, having uncomfortable conversations and managing relationship boundaries. It might not seem as glitzy, but let’s make sure that the whole of you is taken care of.
Have a Morning Routine
Work and school give so many of us the structure around which we wrap the rest of our days. Without it, it’s really easy to become a little topsy turvy. One of the easiest ways to get around this is to create a morning routine for yourself and for your family if you have young kids. The best morning routines incorporate something in each of the following categories:
Time to still your mind eg. Meditation, prayer
Reflection eg. Journalling, writing gratitude’s
Planning eg. Writing a to do list
Movement eg. Gentle stretches, a walk around the block, yoga
Be Open to Unexpected Ideas and Inspiration
One of the upshots of all this time we have on our own is… boredom. Over the last few years busyness has been on the rise and for many of us this has brought a lack of connection with our own mind and spirit. Now that we have the gift of boredom, creativity has space to blossom. Ideas, inspiration, thoughts and more might pop up out of your subconscious and if they do, be ready to capture them.
Monitor your Mental Health
Add together no hugging, reduced sunshine, indoor isolation and you’ve got the beginnings of a recipe for mental health wobbles. To balance out all the lifestyle changes, it’s important to prevent potential problems and notice if any symptoms crop up. For anxiety, symptoms can include shallow breathing, a dry mouth, a racing heart, feeling on edge, constant worry, tense muscles and a host of others. For depression, symptoms include a low or flat mood, irritability, feeling teary, a lack of interest in things you usually enjoy, fatigue, appetite or sleep changes and more. If you notice these, reach out to someone you trust to help you connect with professional support.
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