Simple Self Care Tips for 2025

With the old year having ticked over into the new year, many are currently reflecting on the twelve months that have just passed, and are thinking about the twelve months ahead. And of course, that's usually the time when many are thinking about making changes to their day-to-day life, certainly in terms of their overall health and wellbeing.

That, however - in our experience at least - has always been easier said than done; after all, it's January, it's still the depths of winter, the celebration of Christmas has been and gone, and this is often the month when people are financially tied down or stretched. It's with all of this in mind, that we tend to favour a more manageable and sensible approach to starting 2025 - or any new year, for that matter - with a great focus on self care.

But what exactly is self care? It's certainly an expression we've all heard lots about in recent years, but at its core, it is about adopting a holistic focus on behaviours that preserve and improve our physical and mental health. Most of these are what we do on a daily basis, some are less obvious or overlooked but are equally important.

Read on as we explore five practical - and hopefully enjoyable ways - to practice self care in your day to day life that you can establish and carry through into the rest of the year that follows.

TIP 1: Getting Grounded

Grounding is a gentle and easy activity you can do, because it invites you to get in touch with your senses. Some people refer to it as "5-4-3-2-1", as you take the following steps:

1. Notice five things you can see in your immediate surroundings. That might be objects on your desk, it might be a framed picture on the wall, the light from a lamp, the mug of tea on your coaster, your coat hanging on a hook - whatever you spot, note it.
2. Observe four things you can feel. The clothes you're wearing, your feet on the floor, the chair you're sitting on supporting your body, the glasses perched on your nose.
3. Listen for three things you can hear. This might be a clock ticking, the sound of a kettle boiling, or birds chirping outside.
4. Acknowledge two things you can smell. That might be the scent of flowers in a vase, or a candle burning.
5. Lastly, name one thing you can taste, which will likely be the last thing you ate or drank.

Of course, if you don't note some or all of these things, note that you haven't - that's OK too. Just getting in touch with our senses is a really effective way to settle an overwhelmed mind, and reminds us that we're still here at this moment.

TIP 2: Connecting to Nature

Time and time again, the natural world around us is one of the biggest boosts to our overall physical and mental wellbeing, and a proven stress buster. In fact, this is a great follow on from the grounding activity, as it ties into the senses.

Obviously, what form getting close to nature takes will look different for everyone, particularly for those who are less mobile and maybe can't get out for a daily walk or jog, or who live in a built up town or city area and don't necessarily have their own garden.

But whether you have a window box or a small courtyard, or a park within a few minutes' walk, spending a bit of time - even just 10 minutes - in a green space, free of distractions, can help relax and stabilise your mood and engender positive feelings overall.

TIP 3: Protecting Your Energy

To quote the Yung Wylin' song, "Good energy, I don't need no negativity around me". There's often, in discussions about living well, more focus on what we consume in terms of what we eat, how much we exercise and how much sleep we get.

But this also applies to what we are mentally consuming, especially on our phones and technology which, for better or worse, is part of the fabric of our daily lives.

Getting stuck in a panicked loop of doom scrolling news sites and literally sending ourselves into a pit of worry is doing no one any favours. Likewise, following accounts on social media that make us feel less than and send us into comparing our own lives with what is, in essence, a highlights reel, is also asking for trouble.

Next time you find yourself at either of these points - because we all have - stop scrolling, and ask yourself:

• Am I seeing things that are making me unhappy?
• Am I following feeds or accounts that make me feel like I need to be someone I am not?
• Am I comparing myself to others?
• Am I using technology or social media in a way that is affecting my life negatively?

If the answer to almost all of these is yes, then it's time to hit the "Unfollow" or "Unsubscribe" button. In fact, these questions are a good internal compass to have before you decide to follow or subscribe to a new newsletter or YouTube channel, or follow a new account on social media.

TIP 4: Getting Things Down On Paper

For those times when we are feeling confused or stressed about certain situations, it can be easy to be distracted by our thoughts. But one place they shouldn't stay for too long is our own minds. Fortunately, getting them out of our mind and down in writing is one safe way to ensure we get some distance from them.

Whether you use a blank notebook, or even just the Notes app on your phone or a word processor software on your laptop, dedicate a certain amount of time in your day, week or month, whatever is most manageable, to sit and get your thoughts down. This doesn't even have to be seen by anyone else, it can be private to you.

But allowing our thoughts to leave our heads and be written down in this way takes away a lot of the power they can have over us when we're consumed with worry or fear, and helps us see them for what they really are, so we can take practical steps that we are in control of.

TIP 5: Kitchen Disco

This one is a fun tip to finish on, because it combines a common space in almost all our lives - a kitchen - with two of the best outlets to boost your mood: music and movement.

Think back to the lockdown during COVID-19. Remember when Sophie Ellis-Bextor kept us all entertained with her weekly Kitchen Discos on social media, and what joy she bought with them?

Whistling a happy tune, playing your favourite playlist on streaming platforms or having the radio on and singing and moving around the kitchen as you make a cup of tea or your lunch is a great way to release endorphins, which are the hormones that your body releases to help you feel good.

What are your go-to ways to practice self care? We'd love to hear from you so let us know on our all new social media channels - you can find us on Facebook, Instagram and X. You can also take a look at our latest Spa Deals to find days of pampering and relaxing that needn't cost you the earth.