5 Ways I'm Practicing Self Care to Beat the January Blues

Alexandria Jobson
Jan 30, 2023
4 min read

The prospect of "new year, new me" can be incredibly daunting. While there will be some of us who are able to completely change who they are to better themselves, there are others of us who feel hugely intimidated by the thought of it. We have been led to believe that “self-care” just means having a bubble bath and putting on a face mask, convincing yourself that that’ll solve all your problems. And whilst it is important to take some time and pamper yourself once in a while, true self-care is the boring, mundane tasks that you know will help you feel better, but you either dread doing them, or completely forget about. So here is a list of 10 habits that will help to increase both your physical and mental wellbeing ten-fold.

1. Curate your instagram feed to serve positive vibes only This one is so important! In the day and age where the majority of our lives are on our phone, be it texting your mum, taking cute photos of your dog or scrolling through social media, it is so important to keep our digital world a positive space. Take the time to go through who you follow on all your social media platforms and remove and/or block anyone who doesn’t make you feel good about you. So unfollow the girl who bullied you in year 9, unfollow your ex boyfriend from when you were 13, and unfollow anyone else who doesn’t add value to your life. The majority of us turn to our phones in times of anxiety, sadness or agitation, and seeing anything that is not going to better your mental health is a big no-no!

2. Take your make-up off at the end of the day I have certainly been guilty of coming home from a stressful, non-stop day at work and climbing straight into bed. And while yes, I may get an extra 5 minutes of shut-eye, my skin has never once thanked me for it. But, trying to suddenly get into the habit of doing a 5-step skin routine every night before bed is just setting yourself up for failure, so chuck a packet of makeup wipes in your bed side table so when you realise you’ve forgotten, you don’t even have to get out of bed.

3. Don’t spend beyond your means, especially if that spending is retail therapy Now I am a firm advocate for treating yourself every once in a while, however, I have also been a victim of online shopping calling my name when i’m feeling a little bit emotional. I also know that the second I start feeling better again, I instantly feel defeated because I’m surrounded by things I absolutely didn’t need, with a very sad looking bank account.

4. Make a list when you feel overwhelmed by tasks At the end of a busy work week consisting of waking up, going to work, coming home and going straight to bed, I find that on my days off, instead of relaxing I’m overwhelmed by what seems like an endless number of things to do, and instead of doing any of them I end up procrastinating by binge watching criminal minds, and at the end of the day I haven’t gotten a single thing done. One thing I have found really helpful is at the start of my day off, I make a list of all the things I can think of that I need to get done, and throughout the day and the following week I’ll set a 10 minute timer and use that time to just cross things off of that list. Not only is this going to help you feel like you haven’t got as much on your plate, completing a task releases the reward chemical, dopamine, bettering your mental health, and also motivating you to continue with that list.

5. Get fresh air every day This can include a hot girl walk listening to a playlist that makes you feel confident, a trip to the park with a furry friend, or sitting by an open window reading a good book. Oxygen is thought to affect the levels of serotonin released in the body, so breathing in more fresh air and therefore more oxygen, in turn, contributes to feelings of happiness and relaxation.

These are just a few ways I have found helped me feel better in myself, both. physically and mentally, in a month where previously I have put so much pressure on myself to completely change who I am, and all I have ever achieved is feeling completely defeated by the end of it.

While these methods are ways to help improve your physical and mental wellbeing, they are in no way a quick fix. If you feel you are struggling with your mental health and finding it difficult to cope, please reach out for professional help. You can make an appointment with your GP who can refer you to some incredible therapies and counselling services, or, if you’re in the UK and in crisis, you can call the Samaritans free on 116 123, or you can text SHOUT to 85258. No matter what you’re going through, you’re never alone.

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