Self-care week is back and this year it’s set for the 13 -19 November 2023. Self-care week is promoted by the charity “Self Care Forum” whose goal is to increase the uptake of self-care in everyone’s daily life, become habit forming and routine. Making self-care the norm. You can learn more about the forum by visiting the Self Care Forum website.
So, with this in mind and with winter fast approaching, we at Surrey SSH have come up with our top tips for self-care this winter.
Top 10 Tips for Self-Care and keeping Healthy this winter:
- Take Vitamin D: We get a lot of our vitamin D supply from exposure to daylight, and we experience less day light hours in the winter. Vitamin D helps support our immune systems, important for the growth and development of bones and teeth and can help boost your mood. For more information about Vitamin D visit the NHS website.
- Eat Well: eat a variety of foods and try and get 5 portions of fruit and vegetables daily. Visit our healthy lifestyle pages
- Exercise daily: 60 minutes of exercise daily is recommended. Active minutes can include walking to and from school or work, walking the dog, bike ride, skating at the park, going for a swim, dancing in your bedroom or a PE lesson. Exercise is not only good for your physical health but your mental health too. Exercise releases endorphins which can make you feel happy, more relaxed, and confident. Visit our exercise page for more information.
- Be Sociable: Meet up with friends or give them a call, join a club, get outdoors with friends and family. Being social helps maintain healthy connections and boosts your mental wellbeing.
- Work/School life balance: listen to your body, take regular breaks, hydrate, move your body and help maintain your productivity levels.
- Hydrate: Drinking enough water a day is vital to help keep your body functioning properly, including temperature regulation, helps you thinking clearly, improves mood and aids better quality sleep.
- Sleep: Did you know everyone needs sleep? Sleep is essential for growth and development, important for our mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. If you are having trouble sleeping check out Teens & Young People – Teen Sleep Hub web page for support and further advice. Why not try our fun game and guess the amount of sleep the animals need or visit our sleep page for more information on good sleep hygiene.
- Mindfulness: practice mindfulness each day. It can help you become more self-aware, feel calmer and less stressed, cope with unhelpful thoughts, be kinder to yourself. Visit Young Minds for some mindfulness ideas.
- Vaccinations: get your flu vaccine yearly to help protect you from catching flu in the winter season. Did you know you are entitled to the flu vaccine for free each year up to 15 years old or if you are vulnerable due to underlying medical conditions? Visit our vaccines page for more information.
- Talk: if you are struggling with anything please talk to someone: a problem shared with a trusted friend or family member could be helpful. However, if you would rather discuss an issue anonymously (including health and relationships advice, family/friends concerns or mental health) you can contact the school nurses on Chat Health, via our Chathealth page.
Can you guess how much sleep each animal needs?
Written by: Emily Jenner Student School Nurse
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