If you have been feeling exhausted over the past few years with all of the uncertainty and change that the world has faced, you are not alone. If you then add in personal challenges and stresses on top, it is a lot to deal with. Read Next I'm a GP - how to manage stress in the build up to Christmas Waiting in the queue in a café the other day, I overheard two friends chatting to each other.
Both were apologising to the other for being absent over the past year , and then opened up about all the challenges they faced. What was clear was that they both had needed some time to manage all of the difficulties, and had not had the energy to face the external world beyond just getting through. It has not been easy.
And that is an understatement. When life is difficult, one thing that can keep us well is self-care – yet it is often the first thing that goes awry and we drop from out calendars. Unfortunately, the term “self-care” has also become tainted with images that are often shiny and one-dimensional, so most of us can’t recognise ourselves in them, or images of big, expensive, one-off activities that we just can’t afford financially or time-wise.
We need to get real about self-care – what it truly means, what it looks like, and how we can ensure we keep it going even though things are difficult. What self-care is not Self-care is not selfish. In our society, there is a tendency always to push ourselves to work or be busy or productive.
We are also told we should al.