The few things that made me feel good and helped me take care of myself
This post has been translated from my french post with Google translation so all my friends who don't understand french will be able to read it. Because I am human, there may be some grammatical mistakes. Be understanding or feel free to let me know.
As a sign of gratitude and by hoping that you will finish reading this post, I am sharing the following positive affirmation that I used while writing this post:
"Being calm and relaxed energizes me”
Since the beginning of the pandemic, our mental health and well-being have been completely affected.
And as far as I'm concerned, working in the field of helping people puts me at greater risk to become a victim of “Burn Out” so it is clear that my sanity can take a big hit.
I am sure you agree with me when I say that you should not hesitate to find opportunities to take care of your mental health and well-being.
For several years I have developed the habit of taking a “Mental Health / Well-Being Day” every month in order to be able to “recharge my batteries” and avoid exhaustion. It is a practice that I decided to put in place in order to take care of myself, it makes me feel good and I made it a priority. Helping kids in the school environment, as a social worker it is even more relevant to take time off in order to take a break, recharge my batteries or just "chill".
According to Rupert Saunders, senior clinical advisor at Headspace
"Self-care is about daily activities that help to look after your mental health and promote a sense of wellbeing within yourself"
I agree with that quote because "Self-care" or taking care of myself helps me improve my physical, mental and emotional health as well as my well-being. Taking care of myself has several advantages that have positive effects in my everyday life, such as:
helping me to develop my self-confidence,
being able to establish some clear boundaries in my work environment when necessary,
not feeling guilty when I need to drop out,
improving my relationship with my partner,
allowing me to be patient with my children.
So far, there are only positive results since implementing this practice in my life.
In February I was super busy at work, we were in lockdown and on top of that, it was super cold. So It was clear that I was looking forward to taking my mental health / well-being day. I needed to take my day off in order to relax and take care of myself.
It is important to know that the needs are different from one person to another so some of you will just be satisfied to take a mental health / well-being day by spending it alone, while trying to meet a very specific need that could either be physical, mental or emotional.
In fact, taking care of yourself can be many things, so what works for me, what makes me feel good; most likely may not be right for you. The most important thing is to trust yourself, to listen to your body, what does it need at this time? What do you consider being a priority at this time?
I am sharing with you what I have done and I hope that it will give you some ideas and you will see that sometimes the simplest things are the one you need.
So for me, my “Self care” in February was all about doing this:
Sleeping in and enjoying a super long weekend
No need to get up super early to work. I stayed in bed as long as possible. I decided to take my day off on a Friday and that way, I was able to extend my weekend since that Monday coincided with family day which was considered a holiday for us. Then my last day of work was Thursday, and after enjoying a super long weekend, I was able to get back to work on Tuesday fully charged.
Reading some interesting articles
I love to be up to date with what is going on in the world. So one of the first things I do when I wake up in the morning is to read the news on my cell phone or tablet. I have to confess something to you: when I was younger, I lived in a house with 7 people and we just had 1 bathroom that we shared together.
And in the toilets, we had installed a magazine rack because we all used to read in the toilets (you have to imagine that it often screamed when someone spent too much time in it), there were comics, magazines and books. Of course, I kept this habit, but this time, when I became an adult, I promised myself not to have the same experience of my childhood.
So now in my house of 4 people, we have 4 toilets; thanks to modernity and technology, the tablet has replaced the magazine rack. So I read articles in the Flipboard or Google News application, I choose interesting news articles about various subjects in several languages: French, English, Spanish and Italian.
I like to read about the topics touching current events and socio-economic reality within several countries, it allows me to practice the languages that I learned. By reading newspaper articles from certain countries, I keep myself aware of what is going on there. It's a good habit that helps me quench my thirst for knowledge, if you love languages and want to know what's going on elsewhere you should give it a try. Another time, I will be happy to write a post on my favorite newspapers or magazines
Practice 1 hour of Ashtanga Yoga
have already mentioned in my yoga post my love for yoga and how it is now part of my life. One of my favorite yoga styles is Ashtanga Yoga. Of course, I couldn't go through my mental health / well-being day without practicing a Yoga session. I chose to do the following session which was one hour long:
At the end of my session, I felt invigorated and ready to continue enjoying my day. Yoga is good for me and people keep saying that Yoga provides several benefits to the body.
Did you know ? Yoga helps reduce stress
Foot bath
It has been a long time since I last had a good foot bath. I would say at least 3 years. I have an old device lying around in my basement but thank goodness it still worked. Because of Covid 19, it is out of question to go to a spa, anyway, they are all closed. So, I managed to transform my basement family room into a spa. After a good foot bath using a few Avon products it was a wonderful result because my feet became very smooth.
Pedicure and Manicure while watching Shitt's Creek on Netflix
After a good foot bath, a good pedi was in order! I had the range of choice in my wide variety of nail polish. And after the pedi, a good manicure while watching on Netflix the series Schitt’s Creek that I just discovered very recently. What I like about the series ? It's easy to watch, my brain doesn’t need to make a lot of effort while watching it, the episodes are short and easy to understand and it’s really entertaining. Plus, every time I watch an episode, I always have a big smile on my face. I will write a post later on the shows that I love to watch and that make me feel good.
Sheet mask
I discovered the benefits of the sheet mask during my last stay in Japan. I spent a few nights in the Super Hotel Ginza and after checking in, next to the reception, you were given the choice to select some beauty products. So I chose the skincare sheet mask out of curiosity. I really liked it and before leaving Japan, I had decided to provide myself with some in order to continue the experience when I returned to Canada.
The ideal would be to use it regularly and I must admit that I tried my best to include it in my beauty routine. Once the mask is put on my face I find that I look like Jason from the movie Friday the 13th, you can understand that my husband jumps a bit when he surprises me with this sheet mask. But after using the mask, I find my skin glowing and super soft. In short ! I can't help but incorporate the use of the sheet face mask into my self-care routine as it makes my face feel and look good.
Taking some time to come up with writing ideas for my blog
I have said it before and I will say it again, writing is good for my soul. Writing makes me feel good. I couldn't go through my mental health / well-being day without writing. Moreover it was the ideal day because it allowed me to write down all the ideas and subjects I wanted to discuss in my blog. It was a very productive day because I was able to make a list of around forty subjects to talk about in the future. Stay tuned….
Drink Home Made Irish Coffee
Of course, I couldn't end my mental health / well being day without enjoying a good home-made Irish coffee. And of course, I used the Baileys that I discovered very recently: Baileys Espresso. It was a real treat, I really enjoyed it. So, I made my Irish coffee in a cup I chose for the occasion and I added a good layer of fresh coconut cream, Hmm what a delight!!
And there you have it, this is how my mental health / well-being day ended.
You know very well that taking care of yourself or self-care is very important and although it can sometimes be difficult to find the time to take a mental health / well-being day; make it happen!!! Don't hesitate to allow yourself to do something from time to time even though it seems unproductive, strange, or in some cases unhealthy like drinking alcohol or eating junk food.
After all, it is your mental health / well-being day, your “ME TIME” because the most important thing is to do what is best for you, what feels good for you in order to take care of yourself at that time.
I will conclude by repeating what was said by Sally Fitzpatrick, Acting Program Manager at Everymind:
“It can be useful to think of your self-care as an investment in yourself. We all know that to keep a car going, we have to fill it with petrol,[...]. This is essential care. Much like self-care, it requires a regular investment of time to reflect on whether you are giving yourself what you need to flourish and support your own mental health and wellbeing."
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