My Self Care Toolkit

 

I'm going to start this post big and boldly, I have and most likely will, suffer with depression and anxiety for as long as I live - sounds pretty intense right?

Well, believe me it has been at times but as I fought through my twenties and now, as I enter my forties,  I have spent a good chunk of time getting very friendly with my mental health. I've learnt how to tame it and nurture it, I've learnt what helps me to get through the dark days and what keeps me buoyant when I have that sinking feel. 

As I got more familiar and friendly with my turbulent emotions I realised that having certain things in place made the low points much easier to navigate and rise out. Those particular things make up my Self Care Tool Kit and this is what makes it possible for me to look after my mental health now and for the rest of my life.

Over the last 5-ish year I have crafted this tool kit, it empowers me to be at my best and comforts me when I'm at my worst, and most importantly it give me the scope to take responsibility for my health and wellbeing and even better, it helps me to support my family and friends to do the same.

So today I want to share with you what's in my Self Care Tool Kit and hopefully inspire you build on one for yourself or add to your existing Self Care regime.

• Books - right now I'm loving The Anxiety Solution By Chloe Brotheridge and Miracles Now by Gabrielle Bernstein, great bedtime reading.

• Crystals and Oils - My favourite crystals are such a treat to use right now and doTERRA are my go to oils of choice.

• Supportive People - My husband, my mum and my close friends, these people are my self care tribe and I'd be nothing without them!

• Meditations - When I struggle to get clarity or need a boost this always works for me, Insight has a great app to use for meditation practices.

• Nutrition and Exercise - Whenever it get's too much you can guarantee that my diet has slipped as well — less junk and sugar, more herbal tea and healthy snacks, plus moving my body works wonders.

• Positive Self Image - This can be a tough one but remembering the things I love about myself and the achievements I've made is an instant way to give myself a boost.

• Meaningful Pursuits - Doing the things I love and feel passionate about keeps me feeling purposeful and relevant, this is so important and does wonders for anyones self esteem and overall wellbeing.

• Gratitude - I always find that when I low or run down, giving thanks always lifts me. I find gratitude all around me and it helps to get things into perspective.

Yours could look similar, or there may be other things that resonate with, that are more in line with your values, personality or beliefs. One thing that I do know about all these is that it took time to figure out which ones were right or belonged in the tool kit, and nurturing what works and making time to evolve and grow these things is what keeps it working for me.

Self care isn't something that just happens, we have to actively engage with it, figure out what practices make the difference and be open to all different possibilities. We have to give self care a try and talk to others like, friend, family or medical professionals about how we feel and what support could be useful. We have to participate in self care to understand it and gain from it.

For me having several different self care tools is a massive bonus because some days reading a book or eating well doesn't work, and it might be that actually, diffusing oils is what lifts and soothes me that day instead. I whole heartedly recommend everyone to continuously expand and improve on their self care tool kit too.

So what does Self Care for your health mean or look like for you?

Do leave a comment below or share with me over on Instagram 

*All links and recommendations are my own personal views, this is not a sponsored post!