With the end of the study term fast approaching, it’s natural for stress and anxiety to come creeping in. If you’re feeling in a bit of a slump or looking for fun ways to re-energise and get your spark back, why not give Creative Self Care a go!
Whether you’ve carved out a solid self-care ritual or you’re totally new to the self-care world, it’s always worth exploring new ways that you can tap into yourself and your personal needs. In a nutshell, self-care is all about being intentional in making time for yourself and doing things to boost your overall wellbeing. This can come in many forms like exercising regularly, eating healthily, sleeping well and making time to relax. While these are all important, if you’re feeling stuck in a rut (hello exam prep time) you might need a little something extra to get you out of bed in the morning.
If that’s you, Creative Self Care might be right up your alley! It’s all about finding the things that inspire you and incorporating them into your regular life, carving out time to do more of what you enjoy. This could be dancing, drawing, singing, journalling or anything else that fills your cup and feeds your soul. There’s absolutely no right or wrong way to practice Creative Self Care, and it’s worth experimenting to find out what speaks to you.
To create a self-care ritual that works best for you, it’s worth thinking about your personal interests and your intentions. Because my days are quite busy, I make sure to set aside time every night to unwind and unplug, with the ultimate goal of grounding myself and slowing down my mind and body. I gravitate towards arts and crafts as a creative outlet, but I only have a small window of time between finishing work and going to sleep, so I use small activities that can easily be stopped and started.
Paint-by-numbers and adult colouring in books work perfectly for me because they don’t take too much focus, but they still let me tap into my creativity and create beautiful pieces. I love that I can make small progress each night and watch the artworks come together in bits and pieces, so that I’ve always got more to look forward to each night. I also incorporate smaller self-care practices into this night-time routine like warm showers, comfy clothes and herbal tea to really unwind.
While I personally gravitate towards small painting and colouring in projects, there are endless ways to channel your creativity into a self-care practice. If you’re looking to organise and plan for a day ahead or reflect on how your day has gone, bullet-journalling is a great way to get on top of things while also embracing your creative side. There’s absolutely no hard and fast rules for bullet-journalling, but the key is to write down whatever’s on your mind and unleash your creativity by doodling, stencilling or scrapbooking. If you’re not sure where to begin with journalling, you can try listing things you’re grateful for, reflecting on your personal goals, or setting daily or weekly affirmations. There are heaps of inspo videos of beautiful bullet-journal spreads, and it’s definitely worth giving a go if you’re looking for a creative way to practice self-care.
If you’re curious to learn more about Self Care, the University has put together a handy module that breaks it all down and provides some tips for cultivating your own self care routine.