Self-Care

Self-Care

Self-care can be defined as anything that helps improve our physical, emotional, or mental well-being.

Self-Care:

can take just a few minutes. Even a few minutes a day of self-care activity can have benefits.
is not selfish. We need to take care of ourselves in order to be able to take care of others.
has a positive effect on the health of both you and your baby.
does not have to be expensive or time-consuming. It can be as simple as reading a book for 15 minutes, going for a short walk or listening to your favourite song.
must be planned. Self-care needs to be a priority. If it’s not planned, it can easily be pushed aside for chores and other activities. Tip: plan for 15 minutes of self-care at a specific time every day and it will eventually become part of your routine.
should be enjoyable. Do self-care activities that you actually enjoy instead of what you think you should be doing. For example, watch a guilty-pleasure TV show instead of reading a challenging book—this is your special time!

Are You Spending Enough Time on Self-Care? Take the Quiz!

Take the Pacific Post Partum Support Society’s short self-care quiz to see if you’re making enough time to prioritize yourself.

There are 14 questions in this quiz where you answer yes or no to, and if you have a low number of “yes” answers, it might be an indication that you need to spend more time on yourself.

Self-Care 101: Your Most Basic Needs

The Reproductive Mental Health program at BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre developed NEST-S which defines the key pieces of self-care:

Nutrition: Make it easy to enjoy nutritious foods throughout the day by prepping snacks ahead of time (e.g. veggies and dip).

Exercise: There is considerable research on the benefits of regular exercise for improving depression.

Sleep and rest: Sleep is very important for both physical and mental health but it can be difficult with a newborn. Even sleeping or resting for a short time can improve your mood.

Time for self: This is an area that new parents often neglect and can be especially detrimental for new parents who are depressed and/or experiencing other mental health concerns.

Support: Social support plays an important role in helping new parents adjust to life changes. Healthy relationships can help prevent depression and other mental health disorders, and are also an important factor in recovery.

Get Started With Self-Care

Start by choosing one of the above NEST-S components and ask yourself, what could I do to improve my _____? Then ask yourself, what can I do in the next _____ minutes?” to help determine what is realistic for you and your schedule.

Self-Care Resources

What Self-Care Is — and What It Isn’t

6 Simple Self-Care Ideas for Busy Moms

Homewood Health Self-Care Starter Kit (with self-care planner template)

Simple Ideas for Self-Care

practice yoga: there are tons of guided yoga videos on YouTube for free
meditate for 10 minutes: apps like Calm and Headspace offer some introductory guided meditations for free
listen to a podcast while you’re cleaning, nursing, resting, etc.: there are many free podcasts including CBC Listen
go for a walk or jog in nature: take your baby in the stroller
get a pretty journal: use it to write down your thoughts, goals, plans, and so on
read a book you’ve been wanting to read (or reread your favourite book): even spending 10 minutes reading can be worthwhile
take a shower or bath—alone!
call your best friend/parent/co-worker to connect with someone outside the house
eat at or get takeout from a restaurant you’ve always wanted to try
dance to a song you love
Light your favourite candle or turn on a diffuser: the parts of your brain where smell and memory are located are very close together, so certain smells that you associate with a memory, like the smell of saltwater on a vacation or the cookies your mom used to make, can bring you back to that memory and the good feelings associated with it.

More Ideas for Self-Care

Pacific Post Partum Support Society: Journey Resources
(scroll down to Self-Care)

45 Simple Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas

25 Self-Care Ideas for Exhausted Parents

Establish a Self-Care Routine

Set an alarm for yourself at a time of day when you are more likely to have 10-15 minutes to practice self-care.

Start small: brush your teeth or get dressed. Small acts like these might spark more energy and motivation.

Drink water: make sure you’re drinking enough water and eating regularly—you can forget these things when you’re worried about taking care of others!

Download an app: set prompts for your daily activities.

C’Mon and Get Appy: Self-Care Apps

Aloe Bud
Set gentle self-care reminders