Guest Blog by Curvy Kate Babe Natasha Stanic

Tt’s no surprise that the most recent times have been challenging for us all. Being kind to yourself and putting you on that to-do list has become more important than ever. Here are 5 steps to self-care for some inspiration and to ensure you’re being your own best friend too!

 

1. The beauty of trying something new.

The first thing that may come to your mind is a new hobby? Not necessarily. Trying something new stimulates our brains in a different way, we learn more about ourselves in the process and you may find something you enjoy that you never thought you would. Cooking a new meal, listening to a different genre of music, a new workout routine, taking yourself out on a date (when rules allow) or even taking a new route on your walks. Trying something new can most definitely include something you may be scared of. Feel the fear and do it anyway! The amazing sense of pride afterwards is so worth it. This act of self-care is wonderful because you may surprise yourself with what you discover.

2. Move your body, stretch it, twist it, shake it.

Throw on your favourite song and let yourself respond to the music in the moment, you are your own dance party. Or jump on to Youtube and take your pick with a fun workout you could follow. The options are limitless. Moving your body and getting your groove on increases levels of endorphins which naturally lifts the mood. It’s a win-win right? Spending more time at home means less daily movement for some of us, so let’s move our beautiful bodies.

3. Checking in on your self conversation.

Your inner dialogue matters, and the most beautiful part is you get to choose how you would like to speak to yourself. Of course, it’s not possible to be positive at all times but you can start to switch the narrative with small intentional changes. A great way to practice is next time you try something and the outcome isn’t quite how you hoped, tell yourself “it’s okay, you did your best and it’s brave of you for trying”. This is a great way to uplift yourself and you will naturally feel much better. Tell yourself you are beautiful! Be proud of your wins, even small ones. Speak to yourself how you would speak to a friend or child. We can be so critical of ourselves when really we just need a huge cup of self compassion.

4. The power of no.

Making room for saying no is just as a powerful contribution to your mental wellbeing as saying yes. There can be an uncertainty with saying no because it’s natural to be worried about the person’s reaction. Saying no can actually be a sign of respect, because you are being truthful! Being kind with your no and respectfully declining means you have given time for something different. It could be you time, family time, a night in watching your favourite show. It’s healthy to say no, set boundaries and create more time for self-care.

 

“She believed she could but she needed a break, so she said no” Unknown

 

 

5. Social media

It's a great place to interact and connect with communities that are important to us, find new small business’s, send funny memes, share our creativity, the list is endless. Social media boundaries are important too as it can be easy to lose track of time and develop a slight FOMO therefore a break is never a negative thing. Social media breaks and boundaries are different for every person here is a list of ideas,

• Give yourself a time limit for a specific app
• Turn off your notifications at certain times
• Turn off your phone a few times a month/week
• Delete apps and take a break

Most importantly, you are doing great and even if the only thing you do one day is get out of bed, order a pizza, and pour a glass of wine that’s okay too! The small changes here and there make a greater impact long term. You are amazing and always do what brings you joy.