Let's talk about self-care. It's the core of a positive wellbeing and truly one of the utmost important aspects that we can do for ourselves; our mind and body.
If you've been feeling stressed out, overwhelmed with work, family or your personal matters, taking a bit of self-care is not selfish. It's the best thing that you can do to help calm and reset your mind so that you can focus on the important things. Giving yourself some tender, loving care each and everyday; even for 5 minutes a day goes a long way to improve your wellbeing.
Here's some self-care activities that you can pick-up. Remember, this is not a race. Do it at your own pace and keep it consistent and you'll soon see the benefits for your mind and body.
1. Drinking water
Who ever knew something as simple as drinking water can be beneficial to your wellbeing? Water is said to not only prevent your body from dehydration, it also helps to keep in balance of mood changes. You'll feel less sluggish and increase in energy levels. If you're not sure how much water you should be drinking, just multiply your weight (in kg) by 0.033 and you should have the approximate amount of water you should be drinking in litres. And if you find it hard to drink water, you can always have tea as well. Teas are known to have lots of benefits for your body. Try our Kommune Blended teas that are locally sourced and made; all natural as well.
2. Stretching
Stretching has a positive effect on your mood. When you do stretches, you are trying to relax your tense muscles. It has been shown that stretching increases your serotonin levels; the hormones that stabilises your mood, reduce stress and overall makes us feel good. So, go on and stretch out your knots in your body.
3. Body massage
One of life's greatest pleasure (well, at least for me!) is to have a relaxing massage. It's the combination of your muscles being kneaded and the aroma of the massage oil used makes it so relaxing. Especially love the wonderful relaxed and energized feeling at the end of a massage session. And if you're looking for massage oils, look no further than the oils that we carry from Tanamera; all locally and sustainably made.
4. Gardening
Gardening means that you're in contact directly with soil and nature; this has plenty of benefits to calming your mind and body. And if you're already familiar with gardening, why not try creating your own edible garden? This way, you get to reap what you sow. Now that is sustainable living indeed.
5. Aromatherapy
Our sense of smell also affects our wellbeing. When was the last time you smelled something that made you remember of something in the past? Smell triggers our psychological being that affects our mood. And aromatherapy is a holistic healing using aromatic materials to improve phycological or physical wellbeing. Try using essential oils in a diffuser. The types of oils you use will promote different benefits. Here's some of our favourites:
- Lavender - to relieve stress and promote deep sleep
- Sandalwood - to calm nerves and helps with focus
- Chamomile - to improve mood and relaxation
- Peppermint - restores energy and increases clarity
- Geranium - helps to reduce stress
Check out our artisans Tropical Spice Garden and their essential oils that we can in our store here
6. Take a nap
Taking a 15-minute nap sometimes can do wonders. You'll wake up feeling more refreshed and ready to get on with your tasks.
7. Declutter
Restructuring, rearranging, reprioritizing your personal items bring benefits to refocusing your mind as well. The act of decluttering brings about the thought process of prioritising. This helps to put your thoughts into clearer perspectives which helps to calm down the mind as well.
8. Breathing exercises
Breathing is something everyone does without having to think about it and yet, sometimes the way we breath doesn't help with calming our minds down. When we're stressed, our breathing becomes shallow and short. For breathing techniques, try the 4-7-8 breathing method to slow down and relieve stress. Here's how you do it:
- Inhale through your nose for four counts.
- Hold your breath for seven counts.
- Exhale through your mouth for eight counts.
9. Learn a new skill
Find passion in doing something different that piques your interest. It could be drawing, writing, cooking; you name it. You may even discover your new talent.
10. Take a walk in the park
Take a stroll at a park and reconnect with nature as it is found to be beneficial to reducing your blood pressure and heart rate. And if you haven't already, why don't make a visit to The Habitat Penang Hill and bask yourself within the immensely beautiful rainforest?
We would love to hear what other self-care activities you've done that has helped with your wellbeing. Do share in the comments section!.