National Self Care Week (13 – 19 November) is a UK wide annual national awareness week that focuses on establishing support for self-care across communities, families, and generations.
Self-care means taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical and mental health. Self-care can help you manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy. It can also help to manage demand on health services.
The theme for 2023 is “Mind & Body”. This is a broad self-care theme allowing you to choose your particular focus, whether it is daily choices like brushing your teeth, managing long term conditions, doing more exercise, taking time out for your mental wellbeing, or taking time to understand how to take care of minor ailments.
So, this week any beyond, why not work on getting a better sleep routine, eat healthier meals, spend more time in nature, take time out for a hobby you enjoy or connect with people around you.
The Self-care forum have lots of resources on their site, including self-care factsheets on a wide range of common illnesses and ailments such as back pain, fevers and heartburn. They also have lots of information on what self-care is and why it is important, as well as self-care practices and a number of self-care case studies.