There are lots of benefits to practicing self care. Tips, advice and guidance on self care, and how to ‘live’ self care for a happier, healthier life.
Self care is recommended when you have a minor condition that can be treated at home, without medical care (from a doctor or nurse).
Common conditions that you can self care for are:
Coughs and colds
Sprain and strains
Sore throat
Sinusitis
Earache
Constipation
Headache
If you need to help or guidance to self care, your pharmacist is there to help. A pharmacist will access symptoms and consider any long-term conditions, and the medicines that you’re taking, before providing a recommendation. They will either:
Support/advise you in your decision to self care
Sell you an ‘over the counter’ medicine
Signpost you to the right medical care if you need it
You can find details of your nearest local pharmacy and their opening times here.
Self care is also something you can do every day, even when you don’t have minor health problems.
Practicing self care everyday has many health benefits, such as improving positive thinking, your immunity, and helps bring down stress, anxiety and depression levels.
Taking time to yourself is important to other people you are around, as well as yourself. The calmer and more relaxed you feel in everyday life, the more calm other people will be around you, especially people you are around a lot, like family.
So how do you practice daily self care?
Here are some ideas of self care that you can implement in your daily life:
Physical self care
Develop a regular sleep routine
Aim for a healthy diet
Take your lunch breaks
Go for a walk at some point during the day
Use your sick leave when you need to
Exercise regularly
Psychological self care
Write in a diary at the end of the day. What things made you happy, how you felt etc
Try therapy
Turn off your work emails and work phone at the end of your work hours
Make time to relax (read a book, have a bath)
Meditate or do yoga to help clear your head
Emotional self care
Talk to your friends about how you’re feeling
Write three good things that you did/felt every day
Play a sport
Go to the cinema or do something else you enjoy
For more information on how to self care, go to: (link: http://www.selfcareforum.org/).
Need some more help?
Watch our video to see how we can provide you with the advice and information you need to make the best decisions about your health and social care.