Nowadays young professionals are so busy they forget to take time and look after themselves. It’s easily done and we’re all guilty of it. You spend so much time working on your career, maintaining relationships, trying to keep a tidy home, going to the gym, having a social life and eating a balanced diet, all whilst trying to keep the smile on your face so people don’t think you're stressed or struggling. However, as pressures mount it can be difficult to do it all, and the excuses begin for those tasks and activities that seem ‘less important’.

More often than not it’s your diet, exercise, sleep and hobbies that seem to go first, and as a result you’ll often find yourself more stressed, feeling run down and about to burn out. That’s because the tasks we cut out due to lack of time are often the ones our bodies and minds enjoy and need to function. 

Self care is described as the actions that individuals take for themselves, on behalf of and with others in order to develop, protect, maintain and improve their health, wellbeing or wellness. So it’s no wonder when we stop caring about ourselves our bodies and minds stop caring about everything else. 

Now we’re not expecting you to read this and instantly start getting 8 hours sleep a night but we hope the simple suggestions from our board members below will help you to give your body and mind the TLC it needs. 

Ellen Walker (President)

Take some time - After busy (and long) days it can be difficult to switch off. My advice is take time to spend outdoors, read a book or try five minute meditation. Another thing to try is write a list or think of three things which you are grateful for before going to bed. I find that this is a great way for you to focus on what’s really important and can help you to stick to your goals.

Rachael Shah (Deputy President)

Meditate - After trying 365 days of meditation (read my blog on it here) I recommend trying insight timer meditation app, it’s not as well-known as headspace but I think it has much better range of meditations.

Melissa O’Brien (Charity Director) 

Eat and sleep well - I find that eating a healthy and balanced diet and making sure I get enough sleep is key for my health and wellbeing. Some tips for doing so include meal prepping at the weekend and turning off the tv half an hour before bed. 

Emma Godefroy (Charity Director)

Breathe - When things get really busy and hectic, I find setting an alarm to remind myself to breathe helps. I aim to do this twice a day to take deep breaths for a short period. It helps to calm me down and gives me a bit more time to think. 

Steph Pena (Social Director)

Don’t wake up to your phone - What was the first thing you did this morning when you woke up? I’m sure for many of you, you looked at your phone. This is why my tip is to not do so! Checking your notifications and social channels as soon as you wake up can be a lot for your brain to process. Instead I suggest waking up and doing some breathing exercises (focus your attention on your breathing) for a few minutes. It has amazing calming effects and I think it can really help to set you up for dealing with the day.

Cheryl Hill (Marketing Director)

Treat yourself - Find what makes you happy and make sure you treat yourself regularly to enjoy those things. Whether it’s cooking that new dish you found the recipe for, or enjoying a nice pamper session. For me I love scented candles. 

Hannah Matthewman (Marketing Director)

Get off social media - On average users are now on social media for 2 hours and 22 minutes a day. Many of whom (like me) at times are scrolling through memes and animal videos, wasting time. Now whilst I do love a funny animal video, my self care tip is to take time away from social media for three reasons:

1. On average you’ll get back 2 hours and 22 minutes of your day (Though I bet it’s more)
2. You won’t waste time finding content and information that you didn’t even need to or want to see
3. You’ll make more effort with your friends and family as you can’t just rely on finding out information from tweets, check ins and Instagram stories.

Mara Polansky (Marketing Director)

Take a bath - I like to take hot essential oil and detox baths with Epsom salt and dead sea salt (both £2.50 per bag at Home Bargains) along with lavender and eucalyptus essential oils. I then like to either listen to classical music with noise cancelling headphones or read a good fiction novel. Recent studies have shown that reading fiction helps with brain connectivity and function, so it’s a good way to slow down when things get too stressful.

Kim Le (Training Director)

Go to the gym - This year’s theme of Body Image is something that is close to my heart. Last year, I didn’t like what I was seeing in the mirror and felt the lowest I’ve ever felt. I started really trying to focus on myself and properly training and going to the gym. Therefore, my self care tip is going to the gym. To me the gym is therapy, when I’m feeling sad, down, stressed, tired or even happy it’s my mental escape and I feel amazing after. “You’re too fat”, “you’re too thin”, “you’re too short”, “you’re too tall” we’ve all said these things or similar to ourselves whilst looking in the mirror but try to remove the negativity, replace them with positive thoughts. It’s all about loving every part of yourself and giving your body the attention it deserves! Although, it may seem impossible at the time, change will happen with consistency and a belief that you can do. The more results you’ll see, the more it motivates you to push harder, train harder and lift heavier. You just have to start somewhere. If anyone is stuck and want tips on how to start or need more motivation then please free to contact me or follow my journey on Instagram @kim_p_le.

We hope you’ve found our tips useful and take some time each week to give yourself the care it needs. If you have any other tips then please share them in the comments below.