I think most of us know we should look after ourselves a little better.
We know we should slow down. We know we probably need more rest. We know that booking the massage, taking the bath or going for a walk would probably do us the world of good.
And yet, somehow, self-care is usually the first thing to disappear when life gets busy.
I've definitely been guilty of it.
There is always something else to do. The washing needs putting away, the house needs tidying, the children need something, work needs doing... and before you know it, another week has gone by and you've done very little for yourself.
That's where I think ritual comes in.
It doesn't have to be complicated
When we hear the words self-care, I think we can sometimes imagine something quite elaborate.
A whole Sunday afternoon to ourselves. A spa day. A perfectly run bath with candles and a face mask, while the house is completely quiet.
Lovely, if you can manage it.
But real life isn't always like that.
Sometimes self-care is twenty minutes with a cup of tea while it's still hot. It's getting outside for a walk. It's putting your phone down. It's going to bed a little earlier. It's booking the treatment you've been thinking about for the last three months.
The important bit isn't really what you do.
It's that you make it something you come back to.
Turn something into a habit, not a reward
I've started to think about self-care less as something we do when we're exhausted and more as something we build into our lives.
Because why wait until you're completely worn out?
We don't wait until our phones have completely died before we charge them. We don't wait until the car has stopped before putting fuel in it.
So why do we expect ourselves to keep going and going before we allow ourselves to rest?
Making self-care a ritual means giving yourself permission to have that time before you desperately need it.
Maybe it's one evening a week where you don't make plans.
Maybe it's a monthly massage.
Maybe it's ten minutes in the garden with the dogs and no phone.
Whatever it looks like for you, make it yours.
Create the feeling
One of my favourite things about treatments is that it's never just about the treatment itself.
It's the smell when you walk into the room. The warmth. The music. The oils. The feeling of knowing that, for the next hour, you don't need to think about anything else.
Those little details matter.
At The Healing Meadow, I make my own candles and oil blends because I love creating that feeling of stepping away from everyday life for a little while.
And you can do the same at home.
Light a candle when you sit down in the evening. Put on the same playlist when you want to unwind. Make yourself your favourite drink. Get outside first thing in the morning before reaching for your phone.
It doesn't need to be fancy.
It's about creating little signals that tell your brain: this is my time.
And don't feel guilty about it
This is probably the most important bit.
You don't need to justify taking time for yourself.
You don't need to have finished everything first.
There will always be another job to do.
As a mum to two young boys, I know only too well that if I waited until everything was done before taking some time for myself, I'd probably never get there!
Looking after yourself doesn't take away from the people around you. If anything, it gives you a chance to come back feeling more like yourself.
A little calmer.
A little lighter.
A little more patient.
And sometimes, just a little more ready for whatever the day throws at you.