As someone who quite openly struggles with mental health issues, I'm often very expressive of when I'm not coping. It's all very well and good telling someone with mental health struggles that "it'll get better" but when you're in that dark mindset it can be very hard to actually motivate yourself to get better. Not all of us can afford to put our lives on pause, take time off of work for ourselves and pretend like responsibilities don't exist. In an ideal world I would love to be able to take as much time as I need to help me recover when things get bad, however, unfortunately the sad reality is that we have to push how we feel to the side and carry on. This means that more often than not, it all leads to one big break down where everything bubbles over. That's why today I thought I would share with you all some of my favourite self-care activities that I always turn to when I don't have a lot of time for myself, but I really need to take time for myself.



BATHS
Maybe I'm biased, but I genuinely believe that soaking your troubles away is one of the best forms of self-care, especially when you have those really bad slumps where even brushing your teeth or washing your hair can be just a bit too much. I'm not just talking loud colourful baths either, even just simple essential oils and good old fashioned hot water can soothe away every ache. Certain oils like neroli have therapeutic qualities, it actually mimics the release of serotonin to the brain and can definitely lift your spirits. Light some candles, have some gentle music in the background to improve the ambience and take away any distractions - this is YOUR time to think, so take as much time as you need. 

BOOKS
Getting lost in a book can really help distract your brain from what's happening inside, even if it is only for a few hours. Literature has always been a fantastic form of escapism and there are so many genres out there just waiting to be discovered! I particularly love classical fiction and fantasy novels, the more detailed the better, because jumping into a reality so different to your own can be a great distraction. If you're not a great lover of fiction, then Matt Haig's Reasons to Stay Alive is a fantastic read, where he genuinely recounts his darkest and toughest times dealing with mental illness. It's not pretty and it's certainly not light and airy, but it's a novel I often turn to to help me out of my worst periods, because sometimes you need to be confronted with a frank reality to help you take notice of your own.

EARLY MORNING RUNS
Okay so, maybe this isn't an activity I engage with every time I feel down, because the thought of exercise makes me want to die off most of the time. However, I've found that at points where I feel really awful, setting off early in the morning on a run or even a walk is the best thing to help calm me down a little. The feeling of the morning sun, the fresh smells in the air, the amount of dogs you see, all of these little things contribute in part to a little bit of much needed TLC, not to mention the more science-y side of it, endorphins etc which is all WAY beyond me. Alternatively, if you are the sporty type, then waking up early for a workout is probably a good suggestion for you. I don't mind a little bit of exercise now and again, however it's not always the first thing I want to do when I'm in a slump. 

ADULT COLOURING
Now this activity is definitely much more up my street when it comes to self-care. When I feel low, most of the time I just want to spend some time by myself and although they sound really cheesy, adult colouring books are something I've really engaged with, and something I've found that really helps when I need a little bit of self-care. The whole idea is not to create the perfect picture, but to enable you to relieve some tension and anxiety that you may be holding onto, and there are so many variations of  colouring book to choose from. I have a couple of mini ones I take on long train journeys because you never know when a bad patch can strike. My friend also gifted me one book that has a small band of pattern you can colour in for every day!



GET IN TOUCH WITH LOVED ONES
It can be hard to reach out to people around you when you feel totally isolated, but in doing so you're taking a little small step towards self-care. Anxiety-0 You-1. My favourite person to surprise when I'm down is my nana because she's the type of person you just can't help but smile and laugh around, even when we don't agree with each other! I'm also the worst person for flaking on plans and failing to meet up with people, so I prefer to make plans spontaneously, especially when I know it's not a good time to be alone. This may seem like a totally ludicrous idea to some of you, but trust me, in surprising someone you haven't seen in a while, you might just surprise yourself with how good it feels too. 

SOAK UP THE SUNSHINE
In a country like Northern Ireland, we don't get a whole lot of sunshine, so I like to make the most of it when I get the chance - even if that only involves sitting in the garden by myself in a pair of shorts with a cup of tea. No matter how warm it is, I will always have my cup of tea. Even just spending a few minutes in the sun when it peeps out from behind the clouds is a positive step in learning to care for myself. 

ACTS OF KINDNESS
There's just something about being kind to others that makes me feel a little bit better about myself when I'm feeling low, and this point probably stems from my job working in retail and customer service. No matter how down you feel, you have to slap on a smile and go out there and be kind to people, and sure sometimes people aren't so nice back, but one person will walk in that door a stranger and leave as a friend, and those are the people I live for. But this doesn't just apply to strangers. I love surprising the people I love with random acts of kindness, like getting my granny a bunch of flowers, or bringing my brother something cute home with me when I've been out shopping. Seeing their faces light up at a random act of kindness makes me feel a lot better too!

MAKE YOURSELF DO IT
Now this is probably the hardest point to talk about, particularly when you're in one of those really, really deep slumps where every little thing seems like a humongous task. This is the ugly side to mental illness, the side where you feel so bad you can't even bring yourself to get up and wash, brush your teeth or take care of yourself in anyway. Most of the time, I don't force myself to do anything, I usually gross myself out enough after a couple of days that I will get up and do it, but it does pay off when you push yourself to do those little tasks you've been putting off. For me, one of my big ones is getting dressed and cleaning my room. When I'm going through a particularly rough patch, I never want to leave my pyjamas, get dressed or even brush my hair. Have you ever pulled your hair of a bun after four solid days to have it sit in the same position sans bobble? It's definitely not cute. Typically I give myself a couple of days to mope around and not do anything, and that's okay too, but after those couple of days have passed by rational brain jump starts, kicks me up the arse and forces me to do everything I've been putting off. And I swear, after I've cleaned my room, dressed up and actually made the effort to look like a real person, I feel so much better. It's not about forcing yourself to do something, it's about taking the time to realise that you have to do it, for yourself, not anyone else. 



ALTERNATIVELY, SPEND THE DAY IN BED
You may have read through this post and thought "holy shit, this girl has no idea what she's talking about" and that's okay. These are my personal self-care activities that I like to engage in when mental illness gets a little too much for me. They may not be for you, and that's fine. You may prefer to stay in bed until you feel better, binge-watch everything that Netflix has to offer, and eat your weight in biscuits and sleep in the crumbs, and that's totally fine too. All I'm saying is, it's important to find self-care activities that work for you and fit in with your lifestyle. Not all of us can afford to take days upon days off from our daily lives, and if you have the ability to do that, then more power to you, but I'm not one of those people - I feel racked with guilt every time I do, which is why I felt it important to share some of my favourite self-care activities with you all, because you never know, they might just help some of you out of the worst slump of your life.

I hope this post was helpful to some of you, and if not I hope you enjoyed reading it anyway!

Until the next time, 
Rachel