What small healthy habits do you have that make a noticable difference to self care

[useragsj]

For me it’s been washing and cleansing my face daily, drinking more water and having lots of veg. It is hard to keep it up when you feel low though!

Mine are
-Drinking plain warm (boiled) water throughout day
-Plenty of vegetables, esp broccoli
-Getting outside for a walk once a day
-Keeping a regular journal
-Staying connected with friends/family

I've finally fixed my dry skin by washing my face with a flannel with warm water (no chemical cleanser) then moisturise with 3 drops pure rosehip oil followed by aloe vera gel. Stopped using foundation as it makes me look ten years older.
I need to:
-Do daily yoga
-Stop using my phone in bed
-Make more time for reading (books, not mumsnet!)

During lockdown, I started to commute to work by bike in all weathers which gets me a minimum 1hr of cardio per weekday. It has been life changing. A year ago, I would never have imagined myself cycling in torrential rain, but now I do so happily.

My fitness has improved so much I now actually enjoy exerting myself, I’m happy with my body shape for the first time in years, I eat better because I want to fuel my body well, I have bag-loads of energy and I sleep fantastically.

I live in a city and it’s actually quicker to get to work by bike than driving/public transport so that added bonus is it gives me more leisure time too.

I make sure I keep my toenails healthy and trimmed but not excessively, I also use plenty of moisturiser on them daily

Lots of water, leafy greens (rocket with lemon juice is amazing) and a magnesium ok pill - perimenopausal so trying this in a bid to do it naturally.
Exercise at least 4 days a week.
Bread only once per day (usually)

@ladybee28 I agree. I do that too. I try and clear the horrible chores as quickly as possible, as they come up. Procrastinating and knowing they're festering in the background is such a horrible feeling.

Now I get it out of the way asap. Much better.

@ladybee28

Someone told me once that self-care is not about taking baths and drinking smoothies – it's about doing the grown-up, not-so-pleasant stuff that you need to do to have your life work. Caring for yourself like a parent would – not like an Instagrammer would. And that REALLY stuck with me.

So now I do one thing every day that I'm avoiding or stressed about, preferably as early in the morning as possible. It might be calling my accountant to sort out some kind of sticky issue I don't fully understand, doing a work task I don't think I'll enjoy, cleaning the car out... and if I'm struggling to think of something to do, I think harder – there's always something I'm avoiding.

I sleep better now, and I respect myself more.

Also, in direct contrast to the 'self-care is not instagrammable' message above, I take my makeup off and wash my face at least an hour before bedtime – sometimes more. That way I'm not sleepy and I do a more thorough job

^ I think this sounds amazing. There are so many small jobs like that I put off.

These are all very inspirational, I'm going to be trying to do more of these. Great thread.

I started doing PE with Joe on day 1 and have continued most days. I drink lots of water. I spend time reading and gardening. I am really trying to not let the little things get me down. Early to bed and up early makes me feel good too.

Keeping fit by running every day no matter what the weather, eating healthy low carb food to stay slim and taking magnesium and melatonin before going to bed makes the menopause a lot easier to deal with.

Just walking (swiftly!) for ten minutes, three times a day, whatever the weather. Working from home means I'm sometimes staring at the laptop for hours on end - getting out for ten mins in the fresh air makes all the difference.

I go for a walk every morning ( one of the benefits of working from home).
It has had a positive effect on my mental health and my legs are now lovely and toned.

Consistent sleep pattern and time to switch off devices.
A daily walk since starting to wfh.

This is a lovely thread, @FippertyGibbett which evening primrose oil do you use now?

Drink plenty of water. Cut down on carbs . Stop snacking. Don't eat too late and ensure your partner gives you a good seeing-to at least twice a week.

I have stopped watching television. it has had an enormous impact on my life. I now have TIME!

This threads great!

When I was depressed a few years ago I had a structure whereby I tried to do one thing social, one thing physical and one thing intellectual every day.

These could be as small as taking a walk, texting a friend or reading a poem or as big as a huge run, a night out and a webinar depending on how I was feeling

Just ticking these things off gave me a bit of momentum and helped me feel like I hadn't wasted the day.

I love a tidy house as it calms me, so I have a short daily routine that I go every morning.
I use my timer on my phone and do 4 lots of 7 mins, as fast as I can. I play my running playlist to keep me energised while I do it 😂

I do 7 mins in the kitchen, 7 mins polishing and emptying bins, 7 mins in the bathroom, and 7 mins quick hoover of floors. I’m rubbish with time management, but this having an end point means I know I can fit it in and the house looks presentable.
(I do extra in all rooms when I have time)

Taking a mult vitamin has made a big difference.

I do the ‘3 good things about today’ on my way home from work. And sometimes I remember to do it for home as well.
Helps to balance the pessimist in me!

I also have a master list in my diary of ALL the things I need to do that are bothering me. (It’s long!) and I’m trying to tick a few off each week.

I like that '7 minute ' plan I have a short attention span but could manage that daily

I made a deal with myself that I would move my body for at least 20 minutes everyday. I use YouTube videos for yoga, stretching and weight training.

@Pyewhacket, I sure wish I had a partner that was able to give me a good seeing to! I miss sex..

Nice thread.

Hell, yes, to everyone who said getting outside every day. I feel so much better on days that I've seen trees, and even more so if I can see a river, canal or even a duck pond.

I try to have 2 portions of fruit for breakfast, where possible. That way, if the day goes wrong, I know I've got at least breakfast right.

Face oil every evening. I like to try to remember to do it as soon as I've had my bath.

I travel for work a lot (not at the moment though). I've got a little makeup bag with nail oil, hand cream, foot cream, night mask and pillow spray in. I put it all on and spray my pillow before bed. It really helps me keep a routine. I then do this when I'm away to get me ready to sleep

I found the comment about 'care for yourself like a parent would' very interesting. Although my tendency in my limited free time is to do screen time and sugary foods, I don't actually really feel relaxed afterwards. Whereas gardening/walking/yoga videos/long chat on phone to a friend do leave me feeling calmer. I spend a lot of my day juggling millions of things so I need to focus on one thing at a time to relax, preferably non screen based. Unless it's a film/programme that makes me laugh or cry, that does seem to help.... The trouble is that husband is a complete screen addict so the only way to spend time with him really is to watch TV.

Yeah I have been doing a lot of reading around mindfulness and mh recently and there seems to be a growing consensus that "self care" does not mean sitting in a bubble bath eating cake. Well it might do on certain occasions. But the best self care for your mh apparently involves things like getting up early to "meditate" working through tasks, one at a time, getting that deadline nailed before watching the box set, creating good habits for ourselves. In other words not indulging ourselves but looking after ourselves like a parent would. We cause ourselves a lot of stress by procrastinating, eating sugary foods, drinking alcohol, not getting enough sleep or exercise etc.