The Life at Home Report 2019 revealed caregiving as the number one barrier to privacy globally, with the care of children or elderly parents causing people not to prioritise their own privacy needs.
This got us thinking about care – about the direction of its flow and about how many of us put our own needs at the bottom of the list, despite knowing that caring for ourselves is so essential to maintaining the energy needed to care for others.
It’s significant that ‘self care’ has become a buzz term. Because, when something becomes part of the collective consciousness, it’s a sign that we haven’t been taking its importance seriously enough. Thanks to social and traditional media, the benefit of giving ourselves the same space, quiet and understanding as we do others, is becoming clearer all the time.
But how do we start to build moments to ourselves into everyday life, so that doing so creates relief rather than added pressure?
01 Get up earlier
Rising just 20 minutes ahead of the rest of your household gives you a peaceful, grounding start to the day. This is all the time needed for a combination of activities that can give you a sense of inner space. Try journalling, meditation (which can be as simple as looking out of the window) and/or stretching.
02 Make the everyday mindful
Cooking, folding laundry or list-making – these are part of our every day, so they’re perfect for triggering private moments. Rather than ‘finding’ time to pause, simply see these chores as accompaniments to listening to a podcast or audiobook, singing or simply focusing on the rhythm of what you’re doing.
03 Find space in travel
Whether it’s school runs or work commutes, regular, required movement from A to B – whether driving, cycling, walking or taking a train or bus – can be reframed from ‘daily grind’ to ‘daily unwind’. This simple shift in mindset alone is enough to feel the benefit, but resolving never to work or catch up on texts during these times only ups the wellbeing feeling. Instead, knit, read or listen to music – just for the pure enjoyment of it.
04 Observe your breath
In these modern times, we rush here and there in a state of ‘doing’ rather than ‘being’. As we do, our breath becomes shallow, adding to a sense of physical and mental stress. Simply breathing deep into the belly, while counting the length of your inhale and exhale, quiets the mind, cools the nervous system and can even slow brain ageing. Use times like sitting in the car at stop lights, or even going to the toilet (!), to breathe slowly, deeply and consciously.