Self Care in Mental Health Awareness Week

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week with the theme of ‘Connect with Nature’. One aspect of my self care is to go out for a walk and spend time in nature. So I wanted to write this blog to share some of my other self care techniques.

Go for a walk: I really love going out for a walk and spending time in the countryside. If I start to feel overwhelmed then I know if I go for a walk that will calm me down.

Listen to music: People often think that I shouldn’t like this due to not liking background noises but for me having music on stops me from noticing the background noises and stops sensory overload. I rarely leave the house without listening to music either!

Spending time with animals: There is a reason why people have therapy animals to help them. I always feel calmer when I am around animals especially my own cat Tilly. She has been with me during some overwhelming times, including my diagnosis appointment where she curled up next to me.

Journaling: I sometimes feel like my head is going to burst with everything going round and round inside it so I find it really helpful to write it down and if needed talk to someone about something that is concerning me.

Put down my phone: Since starting my business I have noticed that I am spending more and more time looking at my phone which means that I miss out on interactions with other people. So I am trying to make an effort to not go on my phone all the time (this is taking me a while to get used to!)

Special Interests: I find spending time engaging in my special interests to be really helpful due to their familiar nature that I can immerse myself in.

Watching familiar TV Programmes: Other people notice that I will quite happily watch the same thing over and over again rather than something new. This is a large part of my self care routine as it is familiar and comforting to watch something that I have watched before.

Sensory seeking: One of the best things to help me when I am overwhelmed is to use my weighted blanket and turn on my purple fairy lights to create a calming sensory environment.

These are just some of the elements of my self care routine. I do not do them everyday but use the techniques that are most appropriate to help at the time.