These past few weeks have been nothing short of manic for us, we’ve moved house, celebrated our first wedding anniversary and I’ve started as lecturer at the University of Manchester to name a few very lovely points. Alongside this I’ve been balancing data collection and writing up my PhD, not to mention trying to be a wife, daughter, friend and colleague that people actually enjoy hanging out with…

I began putting in extra hours at work and spending any spare time packing or cleaning. With no time to spare my normal self-care routine started to slip. My diet became horrendous, I started to not care what I looked like and I didn’t priortise feel good habits like blogging, reading or meditating. All in all not ideal, and definitely not a positive way to live!

The time came to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and it was a lovely reason to take a break and to reflect on the year that had passed. But it was only once I’d stopped that I realised just how little I had been looking after myself. So that weekend, I made a point to consciously put time into self-care. Here are a few of the things I’ve been trying to implement since then, and I’m very happy to report that they have helped me to feel much better!

1. Make time for breakfast
   

   When in a rush I would often tell myself I had “no time” for breakfast. But this week I have been getting up early and making sure to have breakfast and a cup of tea before leaving the house. As an added boost I’ve been eating porridge oats, as they help to increase serotonin production so it’s a win-win.

2. Spend time with people that lift you up
   

   You will never regret spending time with people who genuinely make you feel positive and uplifted. Feeling happy can help us to feel motivated, and the way I see it, if I’m feeling motivated I’ll be more productive in the long run!

3. De-clutter

   One good thing about moving house is that it has given us a chance to go through our things and get rid of things that we no longer want or need. Living in cluttered or untidy surroundings can cause an underlying level of stress and make day to day life difficult. If you’re interested in trying to de-clutter, The Minimalists have some amazing advice on living well with less here.

4. Replace up to 3 things that you’re putting up with/ could do with an upgrade
   

   This was a tip that I read in a self-care starter kit by Blurt (more info here) and I had never even considered the negative impact that putting up with things might have on my general mood. For me, I needed to replace my coat (hole in the pocket) and my bedding which needed an update. I’ve got to say, actually purposefully going out and replacing these things has really boosted my mood and lifted a burden that I didn’t know I’d been carrying.

5. Sleep!

   I have napped more this week than I ever have before and I feel fabulous for it. This is pretty obvious, but if you are tired sleep when you can. I’ve been napping when I get in from work, and far from wasting time I’ve been getting up earlier than normal which has allowed me to put point 1 into action 🙂

Do you have any top tips for making time for self-care? Or how do you know it’s time to relax? Hopefully things won’t have to get as bad as my eyebrows did before you take a break! Get in touch by commenting below or find me on Instagram here or on Twitter here.

Love,

Chrissy