Self care is so important these days. It’s not just for people with mental health problems, or chronic illness/pain, or a long term illness or disability. Self care is for everyone and I really do mean it everyone. Don’t be ashamed of it either because in the long term all that matters is you and you are doing what your body is telling you to do. You effectively are just improving yourself to better others around you struggling. It’s ok to take the time your body needs and do what it tells you to.

This week again I have really been trying to focus on the positives. Every situation has a positive even if its something as simple as you tied your laces today. Trying to achieve a positive life is by switching or losing the negativity and replacing it with positive. That can be people, situations, finance, food, health, anything that gets you down really. Ok not everything can instantly change, but for example you could hate a situation for many reasons, you can’t change the situation so instead you change the way you look at it. Talk you your friends but not about the negatives, take the time in the toilet to meditate, go out for a cigarette even if you don’t smoke (that means a break in the fresh air), walk away from the situation just for a simple break.

Talk to people about something good each day. Or the simple kind and caring polite good morning, smile because that helps others too.

I started this week with trying to get a doctor’s appointment. My acid reflux or heartburn is just not budging. Its got to the point now where I can burp every 2 seconds and its disgusting. I tried for an hour on Monday at 8am. It’s crazy to get an appointment but I ended up going on Friday. The doctor said it could be my endometriosis but isn’t quite for sure so wants to rule out other things first before referring me. I have new medication. So we will see.

I am starting to think of things I want to do this year. You know that having plans or things to look forward to really helps anyone. I can’t fully tell you what I properly want this year but I want to be excited for things. Whether that’s going for a spa weekend or a week in the sun or even random things like teaching others things I want to teach them.

I am really feeling a little bit strange at the minute, I am tired when I get home or weekends maybe it’s because I haven’t slept for 12 hours like I did for a while. But I go to work and as soon as its 5pm I want to get home have a bath and chill for the evening. Just me, my bed, my home and I guess this is my comfort blanket. A place I can feel safe in. Or want to be in when I feel I need to. It’s not a bad thing but I know I need to socialize a little more, catch up with friends or even have them over for dinner, would be a half way mark. It’s still in your comfort zone but your allowing them to come into your comfort zone. It probably don’t help that I am in pain from heartburn 24/7 and who wants to be around me when I sound like a pig lol.

I am still gluten free and it’s actually helping me. I changed my ways this week with having a salad for lunch each day, just lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and chicken with an apple. For breakfast scotch pancakes with blueberry jam on and a pear and dinner is vegetables and chicken or stir fry. Something healthy and I guess clean eating. This again can be taking the negative (junk food) and creating a positive (healthy food) but learning and loving the goodness in the food.

This week I have really found jeans uncomfortable with my tummy playing up, so I just made the correct decision of wearing leggings and dresses all week. Simple changes can make the week run so much smoother. It’s a good job I have dresses to be able to swap the whole week. I knew on Sunday that I had, had enough of the discomfort so switched it up before it got worse. The best decision I made.

I was also super glad for payday this week. Not that money really means anything being a grown up it goes on bills mainly. But it meant I could explore the gluten free isle a little more this week adding a chicken pie, and sausage rolls to the trolley. I also got things that I really loved last week, like multi coloured carrots. I also had a salted caramel frappuccino from costa, before the food shop and my god it was the best one I’ve had in ages. In fact maybe the best I’ve ever had. It was like drinking butterscotch angel delight. Yummy just thinking of it now.

I have been sticking to my books this week. It really does help to write my feelings down, its like throwing them away. I also like to remind myself to be brave, bright, happy and healthy. Simple things like stay strong is the best pick me up to keep fighting. The brave feeling everyday and trying myself to not allow it to be the same is really hard. But my December I am sure brave will come naturally to me.

Friday I had the doctors and its was national employee appreciation day so work allowed everyone to leave an hour early. I was already so I had my lunch break instead. My car was booked in for its mot on Saturday morning so I simply took it down there before the doctors, my dad then took me onto the doctors and I stayed with them on Friday night. I was so happy when I woke this morning (Saturday) to a nice 12 hours sleep. It really does make the day go so much better. Its like I have allowed my body to heal and improve myself to achieve more by simply sleeping an extra 3 hours than normal. I obviously need it and my specialist do tell me napping is really something that I should so the 3 hour nap I use to have in the day at weekends is now effectively in my nights sleep. Amazing.

I filmed some videos at my parents whilst I waited for my nephew’s party. With the added guest of our cat Maizie. She’s been poorly so its nice when she wants the fuss. But she wasn’t happy for me laying in till 10 because I was on her bed with the door shut. This was why it was only fair for her to be in my videos.

I even came home on Saturday about 6:30pm and cleaned the fridge out. WHAT?! Come on now that’s what you call an improvement and feeling good. I am still singing in the car and I am all over having a clean and tidy home every day! Creating a better environment to help your self care really does help the positivity, the right choices, the push to say yes!

How’s your self care going? Are you improving? What have you seen a change in this week? Or what is one thing you’d like to change next week?