NoPanic

Tag: self care tips

  • Self-love is a Super Power

    Self-love is a Super Power

    We all have self-esteem, whether it be low, high or just right (to quote Goldilocks). At the very centre of your self-esteem are your core beliefs, these are the basic assumptions you have of yourself and are usually developed in childhood. If you have high self-esteem they might be “I am confident in making right decisions” or “I am kind and loving to myself because I am worth it”. For people with low self-esteem they may believe “I am not worthy of other people’s attention or love” or “I am not entitled to the good things in life’.

    Self-esteem is the vision that we have of ourselves, the value that we give to our thoughts and behaviours and how we see ourselves as people. Self-esteem goes alongside self-confidence or self-efficacy – defined by the fact that they are confident in their abilities (e.g. I make an excellent Victoria sponge).

    Low self-esteem can make life pretty tough and miserable. It can feel like a constant battle throughout life. A person with low self-esteem may show some of the following behaviours:

    • Unable to make eye contact
    • Avoid certain situations
    • Fear of failure
    • Scared of trying new or difficult things
    • Unmotivated in taking care of oneself
    • Feeling guilty
    • Negative self-talk
    • Comparing oneself to others

    This can all have a huge impact on your emotions: (sadness, anger, anxiety etc.) and physically: (low energy, tension).

    Self-esteem is treatable. Here are a few things you might like to try:

    • Treat yourself as you would a good friend. Think about the way you talk to yourself, would you speak to your friend like that? Learn to compliment yourself.
    • Learn to accept compliments instead of brushing them aside, thank the person and smile.
    • Avoid comparing yourself to others. Remember that everyone is fighting their own battle and what people share, (especially on social media) is not their true self.
    • Practice assertiveness. Learn to say no, this doesn’t have to be in an abrupt way but perhaps use phrases like: “Sorry, but I really don’t have time this week” or “Unfortunately, I am going to have to decline on that one”.
    • Celebrate the small things. Achieving goals, no matter how small is a good way to boost your self-esteem. Give yourself praise and even make a note of small successes.
    • Look after yourself. Make sure that you are getting enough Sleep, have a look at your Diet, take regular Exercise, consider Goal Setting and have a go at Mindfulness

    Whatever it takes to change those core beliefs ingrained in your mind. Have a go. Walk away from the negative behaviours and use whatever tricks and tips that you need. You are worth it. ?

    How can No Panic help?
    No Panic specialises in self-help recovery and our services include:
    Providing people with the skills they need to manage their condition and work towards recovery.
    Our aim is to give you all of the necessary advice, tools and support that you will need to recover and carry out this journey. No Panic Recovery Programs

  • Self-Care Tips for Your New Home Situation

    Self-Care Tips for Your New Home Situation

    It goes without saying that we’re living in unprecedented times. Many of us are forced to hunker down at home with no way of knowing when we’ll be able to go back to our regular routine. Our new normal now consists of working from home, working out at home, finding ways to keep ourselves preoccupied at home—pretty much-doing everything at home.

    While staying at home for an extended period seems easy in theory, it actually has an unspoken toll on most people: loneliness. As noted by The New York Times, all the shelter-in-place orders carried across the world can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Humans are naturally social beings and when we suddenly experience a lack of proximity to others, our bodies react accordingly. A study published in PLOS Medicine revealed that lacking any social connection is akin to smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day.

    Now that we’re most likely going to continue staying at home in the foreseeable future, it’s vital that you take extra good care of yourself to keep your physical and mental health in check. We’ve already shared a list of ‘Self Care’ tips you can refer to, but here are some more essential self-care tactics that can help you weather the crisis:

    Take breaks from consuming news stories.


    While it’s important to keep up with the news to get the latest updates concerning the pandemic, you shouldn’t expose yourself to it 24/7 as it may be detrimental to your mental health. Psychology Today notes that chronic exposure to news may only result in incurring vicarious trauma or PTSD. Constantly hearing about the situation can be upsetting, so make it a point to take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media.

    Find ways to connect with other people.


    Social distancing does not equate to social isolation. According to the Harvard Health Blog, you should make it a priority to stay connected with your friends and family, even if you’re all far away from each other. This could mean having virtual dinner parties, engaging in online lessons with friends, or even just having a simple chat over video calls to catch up. Since loneliness and isolation can only exacerbate anxiety and depression, it’s important that you maintain your connection with the people close to you as best as you can and reach out for support whenever you need it.

    Just breathe.


    Sometimes, even taking quick breathers can help with your anxiety. Pain Free Working recommends the following breathing exercises for dealing with stress:

    1) deep breathing, which entails leaning back on a chair, placing your left hand on your chest and your right on your belly, breathing in through the nose, letting your belly fill with air, then breathing out through your nose for five consecutive times; and

    2) 4-7-8 breathing technique, which involves placing your feet flat on the ground, sitting up with your back straight, breathing in through your nose for a count of 4, holding for a count of 7, then releasing your breath forcefully for a count of 8. Be sure to press your tongue on the ridge behind your two front teeth when you breathe out.

    Allow yourself to be a little “gross.”


    It may seem absurd, but Self notes that letting yourself be “gross” is another way of self-care. That could mean showering less, eating weird food (and in bed, no less), and letting your brows and peach fuzz grow unruly. Now is not the time to allow socially acceptable behaviours to dictate your life, so from time to time, don’t be afraid to be gross—whatever your definition of gross is.

    Remember that this is a hard time for everyone, and you’re not alone in feeling anxious and afraid. But as long as you take care of yourself and cut yourself some slack, you can get through it all.

    Written for NoPanic.org.uk

    By Rona James

    How can No Panic help?
    No Panic specialises in self-help recovery and our services include:
    Providing people with the skills they need to manage their condition and work towards recovery.
    Our aim is to give you all of the necessary advice, tools and support that you will need to recover and carry out this journey. No Panic Recovery Programs

  • Self Care

    Self Care

    Looking after yourself mentally and physically are priorities for a healthy and happy life. A well looked after body and mind produces positive feelings, encourages confidence and boosts self-esteem as well as increasing energy levels and reducing stress.

    Self-care is not a one off occurrence, it is something that should be practised on a daily basis eventually becoming a habit for the rest of your life. 

    SELF CARE TIPS

    1. Eat a varied, healthy diet and drink at least 2 litres of water each day. 
    2. Keep a good bedtime routine. Sleep is essential to recharge our batteries.
    3. Exercise regularly. Exercise releases endorphins, a natural ‘feel good’ hormone. 
    4. Make time for personal hobbies and pastimes. Doing things you love keeps you motivated and enthusiastic.   
    5. Look yourself and your hygiene. Have a shower, do your hair, feeling good about ones appearance helps us build confidence.
    6. Avoid drugs and alcohol. These may make your feel better in the short-term, but in the long-term, they can make you feel a lot worse and create other problems.
    7. Talk. Talking is very important, whether it be with friends and family, therapists and doctors or with charities like No Panic. Keeping things bottled up always makes them worse, so get your worries/thoughts of your chest.
    8. Be kind to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up if things don’t go to plan, everything will be okay.
    9. Be positive. Wake up in the morning and think of 5 positive things in your life and do the same when you go to bed at night. Surround yourself with positive people/influences. Clean up your social media feed by getting rid of any negative posters.
    10. Breathe. Learn to meditate or practice mindfulness. Both of these reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Correct breathing is a skill, learn how to do this with our short animation. ​Breathing animation​​​

    How can No Panic help?

    No Panic specialises in self-help recovery and our services aim to provide people with the skills they need to manage their condition and work towards recovery.

    Join one of No Panic’s Recovery Programs and learn anxiety management and cognitive behaviour therapy with a trained leader.