We carry with us all the messages and memories of our childhoods, all the feelings. All the wounds and joys, fears and hopes. All our expectations; of life, of ourselves, and of others.

And here we all are, being adults and doing our best. Doing what's expected of us and so on. But inside - that deeply feeling child - our unguarded self - is still there and needs cared for.

If we are ignoring that or have become out of touch with that, we might be feeling not so good.

Part of therapy is looking back at your journey through life and all that has brought you to where you are now. Self awareness and compassion grow along the way and we begin to take care of ourselves a little better. This is part of the healing work we do.

We can be awfully hard on ourselves in our daily lives. If only we treated ourselves the way we do so naturally with children. Making sure they eat regularly and well, having a sleep routine, outdoor time, exercise, fun, silliness, hugs and comfort, time to decompress, praise, guidance, limiting screen time, feeding and supporting their dreams and relationships with others,... and on and on.

And yet we often don't do half of this for ourselves.

It can be hard to imagine fitting self care into your busy day, especially if things aren't feeling so good just now. It can be hard sometimes to know what self care even looks like for you. But having a think about what we would do for the child we once were, (and in some ways still are) can a nice place to start.

How can you look after your body and mind today?

Wishing you very well.

Caroline