Love yourself first with Bach: How to help others as well as yourself
Taking care of your mind and body every day is so important. Though busy schedules, responsibilities and work mean we often look for quick-fixes to feel better short term, self-care is a journey and learning how to make time for yourself every day, listen to your body’s cues and understand your feelings will help you feel fulfilled and grounded while giving you the energy to take care of those around you and nurture healthy relationships.
Here are a few of Bach’s top tips to help you take care of yourself and others every day:
Motivation
Be consistent with your personal goals - how many times have you set yourself resolutions/goals only to give up a few weeks in? Consistency is key to achieving goals, especially if they are outside your comfort zone, and it takes planning and persistence. Set yourself up for success by giving yourself every chance to be consistent. Writing out your goals and scheduling time to work towards them is a good place to start. Say you want to write a book or learn a new instrument? Scheduling regular writing or practising time into your everyday life will help you keep working towards your end target. You’ll need to take yourself seriously though and stick to your guns. It will be worth it in the end.
Acceptance
Every day we make choices, and sometimes we make the wrong choices. However, it is important to remember that every day is also full of chances to let go and reach acceptance with difficult situations. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. Something as simple as forgiveness, and forgiving yourself, can often lighten your load and positively affect your emotional wellbeing.
Reflection
Self-reflection can be a wonderful way to figure out why you’re feeling out of sorts, and an effective tool to check in on your own emotional health. Taking time to reflect can help us understand ourselves better, how we think, feel and behave. Have you felt this out of sorts before? Was it the same things that triggered it? Go for walks; they are great time for self-reflection whilst you’re out in the fresh air. Plus, we all know the benefits of exercise for physical and emotional wellness. If you go in the morning it can help you prepare yourself for the day ahead, too.
Selfcare
The most important thing you can do to have the energy to take care of others is to make sure you are taking care of yourself. Selfcare is undoubtedly a form of selflove. If you are feeling burnt out, it will be even more difficult to be there for friends and family. Though work or life stress means we often feel the need to work late or have a hard time switching off in the evening, overworking ourselves isn’t helpful and is ultimately unproductive. It’s more important than ever to make sure you take time to rest, take a break, maybe practise some mindfulness, or take a day off here and there.
Taking responsibility & control
Be honest with yourself. Have you been leaving enough time to give yourself the care you need? Have you been working too hard? Being true to yourself is a sure-fire way to feel more positive and avoid feeling out of sorts. Honesty is always the best policy!
Good choices
Developing good habits can help you manage your emotions when life gets stressful. This can be anything from:
- Drinking more water: We all know how important staying hydrated is, but many of us know we don’t drink enough. So, to help you stay more hydrated, maybe go to sleep with a bottle or glass of water next to your bed, that way it’s right there for you when you wake up. Similarly, place a large water bottle in your main living spaces. We recommend a bottle with a straw if you have one, as you’re more likely to drink more!1 There are also plenty of Water Reminder Apps you can get to send you notifications on your phone.
- Getting on a regular sleeping routine: the secret to sleeping well is to set yourself on a regular sleeping schedule, where you wake up and go to sleep at the same time across the week. Trust us, you’ll feel the benefits.
- Food: Eating healthy is all about prep and convenience. Stock up on cupboard staples such as tinned beans, whole grain pasta, brown rice and some whole grain bread or wraps. Frozen veg is also a must, as you can buy a larger variety, it’s cheaper and it’ll last you a lot longer. It’s so easy to reach for processed food when there’s nothing in the fridge, so meal prepping is a great way to ensure you always have something healthy to reach for instead. Try setting out an hour or two at the weekend to prep some meals for the week. We know it can be boring eating the same thing every day, but you could also vary your prep by making 2-3 different dishes to alternate throughout the week and freezing anything leftover. Remember not to be restrictive though – a healthy diet is all about balance!
Regular exercise
It may seem obvious but staying active is one of the most important things you can do to feel more energised, motivated and take care of yourself both physically and mentally. It gets the heart rate up, increases oxygen in the blood and releases endorphins, which all help increase energy. Exercise also boosts the production of serotonin, known as the happy hormone. But sometimes the obligation to exercise can be the cause of stress and dread. That’s why it’s so important to find something that you truly enjoy, so that it doesn’t feel like another task you have to do. The most important thing is to find something you enjoy that isn’t going to overwhelm you but that will help you take care of yourself.
Spread positivity
Now more than ever we are living busy, stressful lives and therefore negative situations can regularly occur, making it difficult to be optimistic 24/7. Carving out specific time to consciously support your emotional wellbeing can give you a sense of purpose, whilst also leaving you feeling reassured. This could be achieved through taking the time to connect with friends or family, practising gratitude, or perhaps simply just listening to your favourite playlist. Boosting your mood and staying positive isn’t about making big changes, it’s often the smaller things that can make all the difference. Hush your inner critic and make room for positive thoughts. Surround yourself with a support system that uplifts and comforts, listens and guides. Never feel inadequate for being yourself.
