Jazz Thornton believes self-care is empowering. It’s a way to honour your needs no matter what other people in your life might be doing (or not doing!).
“I think it’s important that we learn to do the self-care things because otherwise we can get into a habit of believing that only other people can solve our problems,” says Jazz.
Here are five self-care strategies that work for Jazz. Maybe some of these will work for you, too.
Jazz considers her daily routine to be a form of self-care because it helps her feel calm and grounded. She has an active mind and a fast-paced lifestyle, so she’s created a routine that helps her to slow down and feel more in control.
One part of her routine she especially enjoys is reading for 20 minutes after she’s had her morning cup of coffee.
“My brain moves super fast... So taking time, stepping back, and reading, I guess it kind of slows down everything for me, just for a moment… and enables me to ease into the day, rather than rushing.”
At the end of a busy day, Jazz enjoys escaping into a great TV show to relax and unwind.
“I find watching a really good TV show helps so I can just be in this pretend world for a while,” she says.
Sidenote: There’s a reason watching TV feels so good. Caring for fictional characters can actually boost your oxytocin levels. Known as the ‘love hormone’ or ‘bonding hormone’, oxytocin helps promote self-esteem, positive feelings, and connection with others.
Jazz considers healthy habits such as sleep and exercise to be self-care. She tries to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, as well as get out for walks.
Putting healthy habits in place can take time – Jazz used to be a night owl, falling asleep at 2 am – but now she pays close attention to her body clock and tries to prioritise getting a good night’s rest.
When Jazz feels her screen time is creeping up, or that she just needs a break from the digital world, she’ll lock her phone away (literally) and do something else.
“I have the infamous phone lock box which means I can put my phone away for an hour and I can’t get to it. In the beginning that was anxiety-inducing but now I do it and I’ll use the time to read or do sudoku instead.”
Of everything Jazz does to look after herself, she says gratitude is the biggest game-changer.
She writes down three things she’s grateful for every morning and night.
“It sets my position of gratitude for the day and it makes it a little bit easier going into it. Then, just before I go to bed at night I do the same thing,” says Jazz.
“It realigns my perspective and I’ve loved it.”
Jazz’s refreshing approach to self-care is a reminder that it’s about so much more than massages and manicures (though those things can be great, too). Self-care is about setting your day up in a way that supports your unique needs. What changes could you make to look after yourself better?