A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about self-care: what it is and why it matters for body image. For this second part, I am listing what self-care looks like for me. I thought this could inspire new practices that could be beneficial to you! Some of them cost nothing, others are more fancy. There is no need to apply them all at once. Just pick and choose when you feel too anxious or overwhelmed, and don’t forget to share your favourite ones with me!

1. Laughing! Watching a comedy show or listening to a comedy podcast. ‘Come dine with me’ can also work too.
2. Taking care of a pet. Being in Dubai, we made the decision not to have a dog, although we love dogs, and adopted two kittens last year, brother and sister. The kids named them Flash and Sophie. They are our absolute joy and pride, despite destroying any cm of fabric in our house.
3. Playing with the kids: board games, colouring, arts and crafts. (at the exception of slime making, though. This is super anxiety inducing to me, after we tried it and it involved tears from people with their hands stuck in glue. I won’t name names.)
4. Proper date night. (Proper as in being off bedtime duties and having a cocktail with a tiny umbrella or an orange peel in it)
5. Quiet time to myself, especially if I feel big emotions and need time to process them. Writing those feelings down also helps me a lot. For anger, shouting profanities in the car also helps.
6. Walks in nature. Especially on a cold, bright winter day. #bliss
7. Reading an actual book. Touching the paper and smelling it.
8. Holidays, activities or meals out with my family. Just the four of us. Out of time and having actual conversations that go beyond who’s driving whom to which activity/birthday party/doctor’s appointment.
9. Not cooking. Actually being able to sit down after a long day and have food miraculously show up on my plate, is self-care to me. #emotionalload
10. Allowing myself to nap or sleep late, although it rarely happens. Napping with kids is wonderful, btw, especially if, like me, you are not a nap person.
11. Music. Especially singing corny songs, really loud, in my car when I am driving alone. Barbra Streisand or George Michael are personal favourites. Dancing can also be soothing.
12. Time without my phone and off social media.
13. Discovering new places, whether that involves travelling or just exploring the city I am in.
14. Finding ways to contribute to my community never fails to lift my spirits and to remind me of how lucky I am to live the way I do.
15. Deep breathing / Meditation. Even 2 minutes work. Guided or not. Can be done literally anywhere.
16. Manual crafts: playing the piano, putting together photo albums (old school where you need to print and glue the pictures in), scrapbooking, colouring.
17. Meeting/skyping close friends. Whatsapping audio messages if skype is not an option seems to also help. Just hearing their voice feels good.
18. Washing my face and putting on my pajamas on after I put the kids to bed. Extra face mask and ice cream if I need double self-care that night.
19. Wearing a full-face of make-up or none at all – just because I feel like it
20. Looking at old photos.
21. Listing what I am grateful for, or particularly good at. Because who else will do that, right?
22. Going to the spa and falling asleep during a massage.