Take our self-care quiz!
Self-care is where you purposefully do things for yourself to preserve or improve your mental, physical health and general wellbeing. This can be a great way to check in with yourself and really build a healthy relationship with your mind and body.
What is self-care?
Additionally, self-care can positively impact the relationships around you, as when you are taking care of yourself you have a better ability of taking care of the people around you. Self-care can also be a useful tool to help improve your mood when life feels overwhelming and need opportunities to prioritise and manage your wellbeing.
Self-care can be pretty much anything, as long as it’s something that makes you feel better and is a positive part of your daily/weekly/monthly routine.
Finding the time and space to practice self-care can be a challenge, especially when you already feel like you have a lot on your plate. For some people, scheduling in self-care can be a way to fit self-care into a busy lifestyle. Here is an example of what someone’s weekly planner might look like.
As we know, somethings don’t plan out in life (excuse the pun). Some weeks can be busier than others, so it’s important not to feel disheartened if your weekly self-care routine was thrown out the window by Monday lunchtime. Self-care can be a journey of finding what works best for you and your lifestyle. Perhaps you like to devote a whole day, once a month to a complete pampering session. Or you might like to do one small thing a day in the form of self-care.
Another challenge that comes with self-care is finding the space! If your privacy is an important part of unwinding, spaces where you can feel uninterrupted might be where you should center your self-care, for example, your bedroom, bathroom, outside. If you know there are small windows when you are home alone or are the only one awake, these could also be good opportunities for you to practice self-care indoors.
Here’s some apps that you may find helpful for organizing your self-care and routines.
- Done – An app that can track your routines and small achievements throughout the day.
- Headspace – Online content to help you practice and live mindfully through meditation audio and videos.
- Sleep Cycle – A great way to monitor and analyze your sleep, to make sure you’re feeling fully rested.
- Exhale – A wellbeing app made by and for Black, Indigenous, Women of Colour (BIWOC).
If you want to start practising self-care but are not sure where to start, why not take our quiz!
Self-care quiz
- What animal would best describe you?
- Bird – an explorer
- Rabbit – always jumping around
- Sloth – you love a good nap
- Penguin – sticking with your pals is what you know best
- When you’re feeling low, what helps lift your spirits?
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- I try and shake my mood by going for a long walk
- I like to clean my space so tomorrow can be a better day
- Staying in bed for as long as possible
- Either calling or texting my friends to offload how I’m feeling
- It’s your lunch break and you’re on your phone, what are you looking at?
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- I’m probably not even looking at my phone, I usually go out for fresh air on my break
- Clearing through all my tabs (been meaning to do that for ages)!
- Playing a silly game that passes the time
- Replying to my friends and catching them up on the most recent gossip
- What would your dream bedroom look like?
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- A place with big open windows so the sun can wake me up in the morning
- A big desk in the corner so I can jot down any big ideas I have
- A huge, comfy bed that always looks inviting
- A couple of sofa beds so I can have people stay over any time
- If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
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- Mount Kilimanjaro – What a view!
- New York – A busy city with always something to do
- A quiet village in the countryside – no stress, just me and the sheep…
- Thailand – with a travel group so I can make friends for life
If you are mostly A’s, outdoorsy self-care is made for you! You enjoy getting fresh air and exploring new places to refresh your mind. Some activities that you may enjoy for your self-care may look like.
- Going for a walk
- Running
- Yoga
- Sitting in a park/open space
- Dancing
- General exercise
- Opening a window
If you are mostly B’s, being productive is your form of self-care! Feeling a sense of accomplishment is what you thrive on. Here’s some self-care ideas that may help you feel that sense of achievement.
- Reading a book
- Listening to a podcast
- Cleaning or rearranging
- Writing a to-do list
- Crafting (colouring, sewing)
- Organising your phone/device
If you are mostly C’s, you deserve to pamper yourself! Giving yourself the break, you deserve is your way of unwinding. Here’s some guilt-free activities that will help you relieve some of that daily-life stress.
- Doing a facemask
- Having a long shower/bath
- Taking a nap
- Watching your favourite TV show/film
- Burn a candle
If you are mostly D’s, your self-care looks like being surrounded by your nearest and dearest! Reaching out to people and communicating is your way of relaxing. Here’s some ideas of how you can devote some time to reaching out to people.
- Call a friend
- Write a letter to an old friend
- Look at old photos/memories
- Organise a group video call
- Plan when you’re next seeing someone
Where to go for support?
Self-care is a great tool for everyday stress and struggles but if you feel like your mental health is overwhelming, there is support out there.
If you want to talk about your mental health you can chat to someone online via text, you can register for ongoing online support via our online support portal. We also hold weekly drop-in sessions so that you can speak with a worker without an appointment.
We provide a number of face-to-face services too, all of which offer something slightly different depending on what’s best for you. Overall, though, every service provides you with someone who will listen, acknowledge your feelings, and work with you to help find resolutions. You can read about our services here.
By: Daisy Wakefield
