I used to think of self-care as being something luxurious, like expensive scented candles, a trip to the beautician, an indulgent lavender-scented oat milk drink or something similar.
Gradually these actions fell by the wayside as the going got tough. And it was then that I realised it can be about the small things that add a little “feel good” to the day.
Creating even small – almost microscopic – self-care actions can give an opportunity to consciously turn the attention to yourself, to allow yourself a moment of simple reset, a moment of introspection. It is the mindfulness behind the action, rather than the action itself.
Sadly, even these small steps have dropped off at times where there is stress or just simply too many demands on time and energy. And this led me to the realisation that I then need to create steps to self-care with yet an even lower barrier and also to allow myself to see this as adapting to the circumstances rather than selling out.
For me, these became ever simpler actions, such as taking a moment to truly smell a cup of coffee, rubbing in hand cream and even just giving my feet a little squeeze and rub. It was the understanding that it was the consciousness behind that actions that give truly the moment of peace.