As the Christmas period fast approaches, many of us will begin to feel some festive stress and pressures in the lead-up to the ‘big day’.

This year above any, many families are experiencing significant financial stress as a result of the current cost-of-living crisis, and this alongside the general pressures of the festivities, can make this an overwhelming time for so many of us.

Here at SP Physiotherapy, we want to give you the tools to help you ‘be kind to your mind’ through introducing you to regular self-care activities. With this in mind, we have created a self-care tool kit that has been designed to help you navigate your thoughts whilst improving your overall mental health. Here are our top five self-care practices:

Journalling is an excellent stress management tool to help you work through feelings of distress or anxiety. For many people, journalling allows them to free their thoughts and change their perspective to promote a more positive mental attitude.

Daily journalling for five to fifteen minutes can help you release what is on your mind and create an action plan once you can visualise your thoughts on paper. This often helps people make sense of their feelings and helps them to navigate a way forward.

our space is often seen as a reflection of your mental health and is a huge factor to consider when you are feeling overwhelmed.

Decluttering and cleaning your home/ surroundings has been proven to boost productivity and enhance your mental health and well-being in times of distress by helping you to feel calmer, lighter, and more relaxed. For many people, cleaning gives them something to focus on and distracts the mind from things that are out of their control.

If you begin to feel stressed or anxious about external factors, cleaning and decluttering your home may be a great place to start. You can start by tackling a room at a time and tick each area off as you go.

A lack of sleep can cause our bodies to feel distress and release more of the stress hormone, known as cortisol.

People often underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep for the mind, body, and skin, and are blissfully unaware of how much a lack of sleep can impact your mental well-being. Sleep has the ability to reduce levels of anxiety by improving your ability to process stress and respond in an appropriate way.

Practicing positive affirmations is an excellent way to help relieve the panic felt when you get distracted by fears and overthinking.

It is important that you try and change your negative thoughts with rational, positive thoughts whilst consciously deciding to reframe your thinking in a more positive direction. Daily affirmations such as the following are key to improving your self-belief and cultivating a more positive outlook on life.

“I am doing the best I can”

“I am resilient, and I will get through the hard times”

“I believe in myself”

“I am where I need to be”

“I choose to be happy”

Self-care is all about recognising when you need time for yourself to unwind and protect your own well-being and happiness.

For many of us, the stresses of day-to-day life often take up the majority of our time, with many refusing to acknowledge the need for down-time. Making it a priority to embark on daily walks has so many physical, mental, and emotional benefits that perhaps most of us do not realise.

Walking can take you away from your day-to-day, giving you the chance to switch off and focus on yourself for a short amount of time. It is common for people to underestimate the benefits of a daily walk, but be assured that this is one of the best methods of self-care to help reduce anxiety.