Usually the more we are under pressure, the less we take care of ourselves: we work long hours, we sleep less, we eat any type of snacks as a quick comforting hack and above all there isn’t time to enjoy the moment.

Our brain is transformed and operates under a continuous “deadline mode”. Running from one task to the next.

I consider self-care to be part of an effective stress management, and definitely a crucial pillar in building your long-term stress resilience.

Self-Care at work

Earlier this month, I came out of a hectic meeting 10 minutes earlier than expected. It meant that I could use those 10 minutes to diligently respond to emails,  leaning over my mobile phone, or just embrace these 10 minutes that the Universe, the Earth, or that Life was giving me, somehow like what felt a gift.
I decided to stop in a Lush boutique and get a few treats: a bath bomb, a new shampoo, a honey lip scrub. I even talked 5 minutes with an adorable member of the store’s staff who kindly gave me samples of a Sea Salt Shampoo. It doesn’t always come easy for me to chit-chat with people I don’t know but that day I decided to engage in a conversation with this very kind Lush employee and there we were, talking about my hair texture, later my last holiday (which is the cause of the said texture) leading to the free shampoo samples. It was so much fun! I felt relaxed.

It may sound crazy but these 10 minutes helped me change my mindset drastically, and in fact upgraded my perspective too. I felt renewed. My energy levels were back up while my stress level was down.

Self-Care at home

There are days when quite a few things (a big list of things?) seem to be against us. I still clearly remember that Saturday when…

• I woke up because of the sound of a jackhammer
• I decided to go to a class which appeared to be ‘sold-out’ on the internet, and then got turned down at the door (really?)
• I did my grocery shopping and then realised I had forgotten my keys
• I had to travel to the other side of town, with my groceries, to get keys from my partner (it would have been too easy if he would not have been in a course on that day!)

I had things to do on that day. I had planned things I wanted to get done if I would get turned down from that class. (I often plan for Plan B!)
Well, it had to wait, because I really needed to take care of myself on that day. And if all these things weren’t signs from the Universe reminding me to breathe, just relax and do nothing, what was that all about?

That’s what I did. My to-do list could wait. Nothing was that urgent. My flat wouldn’t mind to wait another day or two to be cleaned.

I took a few hours off: I sat on the sofa, read, drank tea and watched TV, purposefully.

My 7 Days Self-Care Challenge

I have shared these two personal stories for a reason. I wanted to illustrate that self-care is possible for all and within your daily reach. We often, mistakenly, associate self-care with expensive over-indulgence. It doesn’t have to be: you don’t need to book a Spa session in a 4* Hotel to take care of yourself.

I created my Self-Care challenge because I want to you to experience how easy Self-Care can be and how valuable it could be to help alleviate your stress.

You just have to accept my guidance, breathe and notice how your perception can be uplifted.

Here is what to expect from this challenge:

• We will cover every aspect of self-care: mind, body & soul.
• Each day comes with a theme and different activities will be suggested for you to pick from.
• You can fit your daily self-care activity in your schedule and make it last as long as you see fit – 5min or 1 hour, it’s totally up to you and your schedule.

Are you in? CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE INTO THE 7 DAYS SELF-CARE CHALLENGE or enter below (it’s free):