Boost Your Happiness: 3 Key Self-Care Practices You Need

They will give you more energy, and help you to feel better and be kinder to yourself.

In this pressurising world of ours, everyone wants a piece of you.

You have:

Work obligations.

Family commitments.

Friends who are going through a hard time and need your support.

There is no time for you to stop, put your feet up and rest — without feeling guilty or thinking you’re lazy.

To continue to show up, follow our calling and still have the energy to care for others compassionately, we have to carve out time to treat ourselves with the love, care and kindness we so freely give others yet somehow fail to give ourselves.

Simple to fit into your hectic life, my go-to three key self-care practices that help to increase your energy and make you happier throughout the day are:

Morning Affirmations
Mindful Movement
Mindfulness Meditation

They help me to nurture and nourish myself, which means I have the energy and headspace to be more compassionate — and happier when caring for others.

Let’s look at each in more detail and then pick one of the three key self-care practices and commit to trying it out for three days to see what difference it makes to your energy and mood.

Morning Affirmations

I started my self-love and happiness journey by saying positive morning affirmations, as it helped me recognise all the unhelpful things I said about myself.

If you constantly tell yourself that you are too busy and have no time for yourself or that people will think you are selfish or don’t love them, it’s easy to start believing this.

It is hard to prioritise ourselves when we harbour feelings of being put upon.

To reframe this perspective and permit yourself to say nice things about yourself as soon as you wake up — before you start mentally plotting your day — say your Morning Affirmations

This piques your brain’s curiosity and lets your brain know that something is happening differently today.

How To Do It:

Here are 21 Powerful Affirmations For Self-Love to get you started.

Choose one that makes you smile or touches your heart in some way.

Set the alarm on your phone for 1.00 pm, name it “Self-Love Time”, and repeat your favourite affirmation three times when the alarm goes off.

Recognising how valuable your time and energy are, telling yourself that you matter and giving yourself, even if it’s only a minute, a boost of love and happiness permits you to think about yourself for a change.

Reflection Question?

What impact do you notice when you stop and say your Self-Love affirmations three times?

Mindful Movement

My go-to mindful self-care movement practice is yoga asanas.

I love how my body feels strengthened, nourished, and aligned when I finish my practice. I feel taller, more expansive and physically ready for the day.

If yoga asanas aren’t your thing, you can engage in gentle exercises or physical movement, for example, walking, hula hooping, or swimming, that inspires you and makes you feel alive when you’ve finished.

How To Do It:

Here is a mild mindful yoga stretch you may practise whenever you want, in bed, to release physical tension and make your mind feel happier and lighter. I enjoy doing it first thing in the morning because it relieves the nicks in my back.

As you wake up, lay on your back in bed.

2. Gently stretch your body awake. Then turn your head and eyes softly from side to side, three times in both directions. Tuck your chin into your chest, which lengthens the back of your neck.

3. Make sure you feel comfortable.

4. Straighten your legs along the bed, noticing how this changes the contact your lower back has on the bed. Slowly point and flex your toes back and forth 5–7 times.

5. Hug both knees to your chest. Curl your body up into a small ball. Keep your shoulders lowered and rock gently from side to side 5–7 times. Return your feet to the bed and let the soles of your feet rest on the bed. Notice the contact between the soles of your feet and their resting surface. What sensations do you notice? What does this contact feel like?

2. Keep your left foot on the mattress. Squeeze your right knee gently into your chest. Keep your shoulders lowered and tuck your chin in. Place both hands on your right shin. Keeping your attention on your feet, slowly rotate your right ankle five times in one direction. Then, release the movement, and do it again in the opposite direction five times.

3. Release your hands from your shin, release your right leg and repeat this exercise with your left leg. And then, straighten both legs out along the bed.

4. Laying on your back, raise both hands. Rotate your wrist 5–7 times in each direction. Then shake your hands 5–10 times. Return your hands to your side.

Lie still, hug yourself and enjoy the moment.

Reflection Question?

What sensations do you notice in your body from doing this mindful movement? And when you get out of bed, what difference do you notice in your posture?

Mindful Meditation — Mindful Pause

We can refocus our attention and remind ourselves of our commitment to being kinder to ourselves by intentionally inviting a mindful pause into our daily lives.

Inviting a mindful pause into my day is one of the fastest ways to reset my focus. It doesn’t take much time and easily slips into my daily routine.

How To Do It:

Before you fall asleep, set the intention to take three intentional, mindful pauses throughout the following day.
To be reminded to pause, you may choose three alarms on your phone. For example, my three dedicated, mindful pause breaks are set at 09.30, 12.50 and 20.50.

So, when your alarms go off, consciously stop what you are doing (provided you are in a safe space), rest your hands on your lap, and gaze slowly around the room you are in, casually noticing any colours, shapes or objects in your space.

Then, expand your awareness and notice, one by one:

Sounds that you hear in and around the space you are in.
The contact between your hands and your lap. What does this contact feel like — soft, harsh, firm, light?
Notice the taste and quality of your salvia. Ask yourself, what tastes are you aware of? What is your tongue doing?
Return your awareness to the room you are in.
When you are ready, gaze around your room and quietly continue with the task.

Reflection Question?

How did stopping and practising a Mindful Pause Break impact your mind and your next activity/how you respond to others?

To wrap up

Simple to fit into your hectic life, my go-to any time of the day, three key self-care practices:

Morning Affirmations
Mindful Movement
Mindfulness Meditation

Are ideal activities for encouraging you to look after yourself for a change so that you have more energy and feel better about yourself.

I invite you to pick one of the self-care practices and try it out for the next three days.

Do you have questions or comments about this article? A self-care practice you’d like to share or ask me about?

Share them in the comment section below, and let me know which activity you will try first.

Because the more we care for ourselves and look out for each other, the easier it becomes to reshape a kinder, happier and more inclusive world.

And, to support you further in your desire for more self-care, download my free PDF and guided audio meditation of 21 Affirmations for Self-Love and Healing for Women.

Click here to start. And thank you.

May you and your loved ones be happy and well.