April is stress awareness month. According to the Mental Health Foundation, over 74% of the UK population has experienced stress in one form of another over the past year.
We believe that a little self-care can go a long way to combat the physical and mental effects of stress. Here at PAPYRUS, we’ve created a 30-day challenge for the month of April, which will allow you to check in with yourself and practise a little self-care every day. Self-care is a really effective way of lowering stress levels, and it’s a great way to appreciate the things around you and figure out what you’re grateful for.
Share your self-care journey on social media with the hashtag #30DaysOfSelfCare and let us know how you’re getting on…
30 days of self-care:
- Get an early night – whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, an early night is good for both physical and mental health.
- Start your day with some mindful meditation – use apps such as Headspace or Calm to take some time for yourself this morning, before you start your day.
- Make your favourite breakfast – eating a nutritional breakfast is a great way to start the day.
- Check in with family and friends – whether that’s by text, via video call or over the phone, checking in with our loved ones can be a great way to reduce the effects of stress.
- Have a lie in – recharge your batteries today.
- Set up a family or friends quiz and get competitive over video call – keep your brain engaged whilst catching up with your loved ones.
- Down tools and listen to your favourite songs for half an hour – dance, sing or simply sit and listen, music is a great way to focus your mind.
- Have a relaxing bath – take some time out of your day to fully relax.
- Create something! Draw, paint, colour in, knit or sew something unique.
- Get some fresh air – open your windows wide, or sit in the garden; fresh air is great for both physical and mental health.
- Play some family/ friends bingo over video call – it’s a great way to have some fun whilst connecting to loved ones at the same time.
- Reorganise your space – whether it’s moving your desk or your couch, change up your perspective today.
- Do 30 minutes of cardio exercise – get the blood pumping around your body.
- Watch your favourite film – when was the last time you took some time to watch one of your favourites?
- Limit your social media today – take a break from the constant news updates and noise that social media can create.
- Write down three things that you are grateful for and why – recognising what you’re grateful for, has a beneficial effect on our mental health.
- Take create photos of your favourite things in your house – are your houseplants creating unusual shadows, or can you find a new angle to your favourite corner of the house?
- Take some time to tidy around your house today – tidy house, tidy mind, as they say…
- Check in on your friends and family via text, phone, or video call – it’s important to keep connected with loved ones as often as we can.
- Start a new book – books are a great form of escapism, and broaden our horizons; we can travel the world from the comfort of our living room.
- Practice calm deep breathing exercises – this is a great way to ground us when things might be feeling a little overwhelming.
- Cook your favourite meal – baking or cooking is a good way to pass the time, and you’ll feel a sense of achievement after you’ve finished.
- Put your favourite outfit on today – just because we are at home doesn’t mean we can’t make an effort!
- Plant something – seeds, plants or cress in the kitchen, planting something and watching it grow is good for our mental health.
- Drink plenty of water – it’s important to stay hydrated.
- Challenge yourself to learn something new – start learning a new language or pick up an instrument.
- Play cards or a board game – cards and board games can be played in groups or as a solitary activity.
- Find a random act of kindness that you can perform for somebody else today – whether it’s helping a vulnerable neighbour or phoning somebody to keep them company, doing something kind for somebody else – no matter how small – works wonders for our own happiness.
- Do one minute of spontaneous dancing – dance like nobody is watching, combine it with some loud singing and this is a great stress buster.
- List everything that has made you feel grateful this month – what have you learnt about yourself this month?
Don’t forget to tag us in your self-care journey and use the hashtag #30DaysOfSelfCare –and more importantly, don’t forget to enjoy!
