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are you taking care of yourself?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 14 Settling in
in Health & Wellbeing
I ask myself this question a lot, am I taking care of myself? The answer is often a no! When stressed I pick up bad habits that I really struggle to break out of, yet I always try to be there to support my friends with what they need. However I have learned that you CANNOT support others before you have taken care of yourself first! So please use this space to share how you are taking care of yourself (or if you are struggling to take care of yourself and need advice please reach out for support on here). <3

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 130 The Mix Convert
    It's really sweet that you try to support your friends even when you're not putting yourself first, that shows what type of person you are <3 But it is so important to take care of not only your loved ones, but yourself too because you're so important too! :3 I've been taking myself by eating regularly, showering, and going to the doctor to check up on some physical problems!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 14 Settling in
    that's great! I tend to struggle with remembering to shower and drink enough water each day. Sometimes I find myself in a good routine but equally it dips a lot.
  • Past UserPast User Recovering🥀 Posts: 0 Just got here
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • lovemimoonlovemimoon Posts: 2,318 Boards Champion
    Hello! Thank you for starting this thread!

    When I have really low moods, my everyday routine stops - I'm barely eating a meal, my sleeping schedule's erratic, my hygiene care is practically non-existent. I don't want to take care of myself because I feel like shit.
    It's especially worse when it's uni season - I'm so stressed about the time, I don't make space for self-care routines. This also affects my surroundings and the people around me.

    This drastically changed when my physical health took a really bad toll. So now, I'm on two supplements until further notice. I've recently started fluoxetine. Funnily enough, the fact that I have to take these kinda woke me up to do build routines based on my erratic mood swings:

    Here:
    - Hygiene Routine: I made a routine that accommodates to my daily routine; Since I have a hectic schedule, the routine goes like this: Dedicate 1 day to full self-care: wash your hair and create a skincare routine. The rest of the weekdays, take quick showers in the mornings.


    - Hygiene Products: A big part of your hygiene routine is knowing what your skin & hair needs. Is your skin oily? Sensitive? Dry? Combination? What about your hair? What type is it? Find out more about it and find affordable products that will meet your needs. There are going to be a few trials and errors so give yourself time until you find the right one. I replaced my entire toiletry items, and since then, not only don't I look great, I feel better too!

    - Diet Changes: Food plays a crucial role to your mental health. Personally, I find it really hard to maintain a balanced diet, especially when my moods become erratic. I've managed to cut down the amount of fatty foods and replaced unhealthy snacks with fruits. Maintain three meals a day with a light snack on the side. Make sure you drink two cups of water during and/or after your meal.

    I have a couple of more but I'm afraid this post might get too long so I'll break it down. :joy:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,054 Wise Owl
    This is a great post! Thank you for making this. Even just noticing when you aren't taking care of yourself is the first step to self-care I feel - shows you're checking in with how you are feeling :smile::heart:

    I've noticed that mindfulness makes me feel great, yet when life gets busy it's the first thing that I drop. I need to start making more time for it because the benefits are invaluable! :heart:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 14 Settling in
    @lovemimoon thank you so much for these tips I’ve really enjoyed them and would love to hear more!!
  • AislingDMAislingDM Moderator Posts: 1,666 Extreme Poster
    edited September 18
    these are really cool tips from everyone - you're so right @Past User , it can be so easy to miss how we stop taking care of ourselves. For me, it's that my sleeping changes, I just cannot get out of bed no matter how much sleep I've gotten, usually because I've gone to bed late like 3-4am and then I end up wasting the next day and it can create a cycle. Something that helps me, is to stop perceiving that next day as 'wasted' because I slept in late, rather I try to start viewing it as a fun relax day, so I get to watch TV and do what I want and that's okay and then it slowly starts to not feel like a negative =)
    Post edited by TheMix on
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