Live Self Care for Life​

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.