Often ignored or forgotten about, self-care is about taking the time to look after you! It is important to make time to take care of yourself to keep on top of your mental and physical health. As the saying goes, “you can’t pour from an empty cup”.
During a mental health first aid course that I completed a while ago, I came across the analogy of the stress bucket. Stress is part of our every-day lives. A small amount can help us to take action and work productively. But if our stress bucket starts to fill or overflow, it can cause us to feel overwhelmed and negatively impact our mental health.
Everyday stressors including work, money and relationship issues, flow into the stress bucket like rain. So, we need to find ways to allow the stress to flow out of the bucket.
This year has been particularly challenging for everybody with the pandemic bringing social isolation, job and financial worries, and reduced access to mental health services (The Health Foundation). Additionally, some of our normal ways of coping may not be available to us at the moment because of the Covid-19 restrictions in place.
Practicing self-care isn’t always easy. Being busy has become the rule rather than the exception for most people. Have you found yourself working longer hours, consumed by technology and unable to put your phone down? Me-time is usually at the bottom of the to-do list and we can even feel guilty for taking time out for ourselves. So, getting started with a self-care routine can be challenging. I’m here to help!
Join me for a seven day self-care challenge. Starting on Monday 23rd November, the beginning of the last week of the lockdown in England (fingers crossed!), this challenge involves a combination of live and pre-recorded videos, guiding you through a range of self-care ideas that you can take forward and make part of your own routine.
The live sessions will run Monday-Thursday at 8.15am through Zoom. Each session will be recorded in case you miss one, and made available in a private Facebook group where you can also connect with other people in the community and share experiences and ideas. The three pre-recorded sessions will be released over the weekend for you to practice in your own time. Every day will be different and will provide you with tools to improve your mental and physical wellbeing.
The schedule and what you will need for each session is set out below:
Day Time What you’ll need
Monday Live at 8.15am An exercise mat if you have one and some space to move
Tuesday Live at 8.15am Somewhere comfortable to sit, a pen and paper
Wednesday Live at 8.15am An exercise mat if you have one and some space to move
Thursday Live at 8.15am Somewhere comfortable to sit and relax
Friday Pre-recorded, made available at 5pm Space to move/dance
Saturday: Pre-recorded, made available at 9am Clean hands and your favourite body/face product
Sunday Pre-recorded, made available at 9am A space to lie down and relax, pillows, a blanket, eye-pillow if you have one, heating up, lights down.
Make a commitment to yourself to show up every day for this challenge and notice the benefit in your mind and body. Empty your bucket before the Christmas crazy sets in!
All this for just £10! The price includes:
All seven 20-minute live or pre-recorded videos
Access to a private Facebook wellbeing community
A pdf guide to take away so you can keep on track with your self-care practice
Click the link below to confirm your place.
“Jess creates such a warm, cosy and welcoming environment. After the session I felt relaxed, more in line with my physical and emotional wellbeing and even a little sleepy! It truly feels that, for an hour you have stepped out of the stresses of everyday life and into a more calming, serene world, all from the comfort of your own home.”
