Stressful day, busy lives! Sound familiar? We live in a fast-paced world, juggling a lot of balls.

When we stop, we pick up our phones and scroll on social media, impacting our mental health and wellbeing consistently and, more worryingly, sub-consciously. Stop! Take a breath. ‘What am I thinking? How am I feeling?’ Check-in with yourself and learn to make time for you.

Self-care is crucial to our mental health and well-being, and it is important to prioritise time in our busy lives to incorporate this. 

So, what does self-care look like for you? Ask yourself what makes you feel relaxed, de-stressed, happy, content, peaceful. Start to put your wellbeing up there with the priorities in your life.

It can be a walk in nature, incorporating a grounding exercise, a chat with a friend, checking in with a neighbour, meditation or relaxation exercise, a gym session or workout class to release stress or yoga to rebalance or volunteer.

What hobbies do you have, what makes you laugh, what gives you a sense of purpose?

Simone Baldwin encourages self-careSimone Baldwin encourages self-care (Image: West Essex Mind) Autumn is a busy time of year with lots of worries going into our ‘stress bucket’, such as presents to buy, money to find, parties to attend and organise, working hard to reach deadlines, and family dynamics. It is important to help manage all this by releasing some of the stress from our bucket with healthy coping strategies.

Sit quietly and reflect: ‘What do I need for myself to de-stress, how can I give myself the time to do this?’ and do it with total indulgence by enjoying the moment, leaving any guilt or negative self-talk at the door.

If you are feeling lonely, reach out to someone or a support service to give yourself what you need. Connection is therapeutic in lots of ways and recognising this can help you incorporate self-care into your life and build confidence and social skills. Smile at a stranger and see how good this feels for both of you.

We are all worth it and more importantly need it for our mental wellbeing. Try it out and see how it feels. To make the changes, we have to put in the effort for ourselves - and continue to do this when it works.