Show yourself some love with these comforting self-care rituals

The key to good self-care is to become totally absorbed in whatever you decide to do to look after yourself, whether that activity takes minutes or hours. Appreciate what you have to offer to yourself and that you’re responding to your needs. You’re showing up for you, and you deserve it. It sounds strange, but anything that you were hoping someone else would give you – validation, comfort, reassurance, peace – you can give to yourself.

Regular journalling

Being truly honest with ourselves about how we feel is not always easy and something that a lot of us neglect. Particularly after a traumatic experience or a difficult break-up, writing your thoughts and feelings down on a regular basis is a great way to help you process what you’re going through. It avoids the worry of burdening someone else or the fear of being judged.

Being brutally honest about where you’re at in a given moment – even if it’s resentful, angry or frustrated – will connect you with your inner self and nurture self-compassion. Also, looking back on what you wrote after a week, month or year will show you how far you’ve come.

Give yourself joy

There’s nothing nicer than finding something you wholeheartedly enjoy and allocating time to embrace it fully with no distractions. Sea swimming is an obvious example; feeling buoyed by salt water is so therapeutic, the endorphins flow and you feel a great sense of achievement afterwards. Doing something creative like painting or crafts has the same effect, especially if you make something for your home or as a gift to someone else.

For me, it’s singing. I notice a song on the radio or TV that I find meaningful or uplifting, then learn it and record it to a backing track. Sinead O’Connor described songs as “conversations with my soul”. I feel the same.

Get close to nature

Actively observing the natural world and wildlife, whether it is in your garden or out walking, is a great way to calm your mind and be present in the moment. The simplicity of watching a bumblebee going from flower to flower, a swan building its nest or even just the shape of the clouds in the sky will feed your spirit.

I was lucky this year to have a fox cub living in my garden. It felt like a privilege to have this wild creature so close to me on a daily basis and think about his survival instinct and way of life – free of technology and human complications.

Find a social interest

While it can be daunting to put yourself out there and engage in activities on your own, it’s also liberating. You don’t have to make arrangements with other people, you can choose something purely based on what you’re interested in and you can turn up when you feel like it. That said, self-care doesn’t have to be a solo activity, and some happy, healthy social interactions can boost your mood just as much as a private pamper session.

You typically don’t have to look far to find a local walking group, and there’s no end to the social opportunities you can find to match your interests on sites such as Eventbrite or Meetup, whether you want to feel fulfilled by contributing to a community clean-up or learning some life drawing skills.