11 soul-soothing self-care activities to try today

Recognising World Mental Health Day is always incredibly important, but we’ll be honest with you: something about 2020 and the challenges it’s brought with it has raised the importance bar even higher. Leave it to a global pandemic to heighten everyone’s sense of uncertainty, right?

After all, this year hasn’t been easy on anything – our social lives, our finances, our anxiety levels; the list goes on – and all the hardship definitely affects our mental wellbeing.

So, in the hope that you’ll take a little time out of your day to enhance your precious mental health, we’ve rounded up a few self-care strategies we recommend trying out, today and every day. You deserve it, you wonderful thing, you.

Sensory self-care

Try taking a long hot bath listening to your favourite podcast, or burning that ‘good’ candle you’ve been saving for something special. Why? Because you’re that something special, and you deserve a damn delightful sensory experience.

Pleasurable self-care

This one’s all about doing something that’s solely pleasurable, and ideally not the slightest bit productive (you've earned a break, okay?!). Try switching your devices off and focusing completely on a book or show that you love and haven’t engaged with in a while – you won’t believe how much more soothing it is when you’re completely consumed in the story rather than having your head in your phone half the time.

Mastery self-care

Alright, pleasure-related options may not work for everyone – some of us find the greatest sense of comfort in finally tackling a challenge we’ve been putting off (especially if it’s one we’ve been stressing over for weeks now). Set aside some time to check it off your list today. Our favourite way to tick off a task while also having fun? Colour coding our beauty products in the name of organisation – the shelfies will be just as satisfying as a job well done.

Spiritual self-care

Getting in touch with your innermost values is also a great way to ease mental stress. Give meditation a go (there are some great guided options in the app store), or try making a list of personal compassion affirmations (AKA promises to yourself) – think things like ‘during difficult times I choose to love myself’ or ‘I can give myself grace when I make mistakes’. Keep the list on your phone or somewhere nearby and try your very best to stick to the ones you come up with.

Emotional self-care

Been needing a good cry for a while but feel like you’ve been forcing yourself to hold it in? It might be time to stop pushing away your emotions – watch a movie you know gets you balling every time and feel your feelings to the point where you can experience them, accept them and then finally, let them pass. On the flipside, if you’ve been struggling to find pockets of joy in 2020, do the same thing with a movie that makes you laugh. Our personal recommendation? Bridesmaids. The bridal boutique bathroom scene has never let us down…

Physical self-care

We’re all aware that physical wellness is a massive player when it comes to mental health, but it’s all too easy to forget it, especially if we’re feeling lost or down. Start with something simple to get your body moving: go for a walk, try a virtual yoga video, do some simple stretching, or throw on Britney Spears’ greatest hits and dance like nobody’s watching – honestly, do that and try not to smile; it won't be easy.

Main image credit: @emperiance

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