Easy Ways To Take Better Care Of Yourself At Home

Most of us know we should be looking after ourselves more, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. When the day’s been long or you’ve had a lot on your mind or things just haven’t felt quite right for a while, taking care of yourself often slips to the bottom of the list, and when you’re at home all the time, it’s easy to stop noticing how you really feel, or to just go through the motions without really giving anything much thought.

But if you’re able to slow down a bit and think about things for a while, you might realise that you need to do more to make yourself feel better and to practice some real self-care, and although it might not sound easy, it’s perfectly possible to do that at home. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more about some easy ways to take care of yourself at home.

Table of Contents

What Habits Have You Stopped Doing?

We all have good habits and bad habits, and that’s perfectly normal, but when those good habits disappear and you’ve only got the bad habits left, that’s not so good, and that’s where problems can arise. So it’s a good idea to think about what good habits you’ve lost along the way because it might surprise you just how many have gone.

Maybe you used to open the windows first thing, make your bed as soon as you got up, make a proper breakfast, or write down your thoughts every now and then… And sometimes those things just don’t work anymore, but if anything used to feel helpful, there’s no reason not to bring it back, even just one thing at a time.

Make One Corner Of Your Home Just For You

What if you could make just one corner that feels nice to sit in? It could be somewhere you already use, like the side of the bed or the end of the sofa, but it helps if you clear it properly and then put something there that feels like you’re taking care of yourself.

What do we mean? Well, it could be a cushion, a book you’re reading, a lamp that doesn’t hurt your eyes, or just a space to put your tea down. The idea is to give yourself a small area where you know you can go when things are getting a bit much, so you’ve somewhere to rest when you need it.

Stop Putting Off Easy Fixes

Sometimes we tell ourselves we’ll feel better when we’ve done something big, like started a new habit or sorted our whole life out, but often it’s actually the small practical things that make a difference, like changing your bedsheets, replying to a message that’s been making you feel bad for ignoring it, throwing away that bottle of shampoo you hate but keep using anyway, and so on. It’s really helpful to cross off something simple, especially when the rest of life feels uncertain or scary.

Get Good Rest

When you’re tired, it’s easy to do what’s known as passive rest, which means things like scrolling on your phone, putting something on in the background, and staring into space – and while there’s nothing wrong with any of that, it doesn’t always leave you feeling any better. So it might help to rest more deliberately sometimes, and you could go and lie down properly, or sit somewhere quiet and do nothing, or listen to a playlist you haven’t heard in a while, or have a bath without your phone. Anything that gives your brain a bit more space is a good choice, and you’re sure to notice the difference when you start doing it.

You Don’t Have To Finish Everything

There’s a lot of pressure to stay on top of everything – to keep your inbox clear, your flat clean, and essentially your life moving forward – but it’s exhausting to live like that all the time. If your house is messy or your laundry’s behind or you haven’t texted someone back yet, that doesn’t mean you’re doing badly, perhaps you’re just busy, or maybe it’s just that you’re human (it happens to all of us). So if you need a rest, it’s okay to take one without ‘earning’ it first, and if some things stay undone for a while, don’t stress about it – you’ll get there eventually.

Get Some Support

When things feel like they’re building up, it’s not always easy to talk about it, but you don’t have to explain everything or have a big conversation to feel supported – sometimes it helps just to message someone you trust or say out loud that you’re not feeling great, even if you don’t know why.

As for help you can get from home, did you know that’s not limited to friends and family? You can get professional help too, which might be the best thing if you’ve been having real problems lately. That fact is that these days, a lot of people find it easier to get help through online therapy with insurance, because it removes some of the barriers around money and access and means you don’t have to leave the house if that feels like too much.

Do What Worked Before

It’s easy to forget the things that used to help, especially when your head feels foggy or you’re just trying to get through the day, so it can be useful to think about what’s made a difference in the past, even if it felt small at the time (or you didn’t realise it was helping).

That might be writing something down before bed, going for a walk in the morning, or doing the washing up before sitting down for the evening and similar ideas. The point is, the details don’t really matter because it’s really just about getting back to doing good, useful, helpful things. If you can do that, you’re definitely taking care of yourself, and that’s the most important thing of all.