The act of self-care is a part of our everyday lives, and without it, we struggle. We can take ourselves and what we do each day for granted, and can often carry out self-care activities without acknowledging them for what they are. So what does it mean to you? Contrary to what people may think, self-care is not about spending lots of money on treats and pampering, but it is also not necessarily something you have to make an exception in your day to do - it’s not ‘yet another task’. It is much more about adopting simple daily, regular habits that improve our health and wellbeing.

What do you think of when you consider your ‘self’? Does it have any particular meaning? Do we ever really listen to ourselves? Have you ever taken the time to know yourself, and what is uniquely you?

Perhaps it’s time to start.

When you think of the different parts of your self what comes to mind? What does ‘feeding your soul’ mean? What is your body telling you it needs? Your heart? If you are in survival mode, why is this and who can you live beyond mere survival?

Often, our minds, emotions, actions and bodies flag areas that need attention because we have forgotten to look after those areas - do we choose to address it, or do we try to ‘push through’ regardless. We can become too focused on our relationships and the well-being of others, that we forget that WE are also a fundamental part of the relationship, forgetting to put on our own ‘emotional life jacket’ first. Then, we concentrate on ‘doing’ instead of ‘being’. Sometimes we need to focus on taking care of our inner self in order to sustain our ability to care for and respond to others. When you think about a skilled person, they have their own ‘tools of the trade’; however, we are our own expert in living our own life, and the facets of our being – our bodies, our minds, our hearts, our spirit, our relationships – need to be given attention and cared for, just as much as a skilled craftsperson looks after their prized tools.

When we notice and become aware of what the different parts that make us are saying, then we can aim to have a life that is more balanced, healthy and keep functioning.