Hey my Lovelies,

I’m back again with 7 Self-care ideas for Spoonies but this time it’s suited more towards the winter season. My last self-care suggestions post was published during July of 2018 in the peak of summer, if you haven’t read that post then you can read it here – Self Care for Spoonies 101

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The importance of self-care

Self-care is a necessary part of anyone’s well-being, whether you’re chronically ill or not. Taking care of yourself to the best of your capabilities is vital in order to keep a healthy balance between your physical and mental health.

7 Self Care Ideas for Spoonies (Winter Edition)

1. Hot Water Bottle

 

IT’S FREEZING! Need I say more.

During the winter time, it’s vital that you keep in as much heat as possible as it’s the coldest time of year. Winter is the period of time which I like to refer to as – ‘Spoonie Survival Season’ (I specifically note down from September-April as SS Season as those are the month that Chronically ill people have to fight a little harder against the grain of their failing bodies).

As the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, the poor also get colder which means bills become more stressful and you’re stuck trying to decide if you should go without heating to keep warm OR a little food in the fridge to stay full. Hot water bottles are a perfect way to keep warm and not threat too much about the cost of heating as these little beauties keep you insulated for hoursss. If you haven’t got a hot water bottle I highly suggest you get one as they are a great investment, especially for anyone who suffers from weakness of the bones or a neurological disorder.

 

 

2. Update your Pick-Me-Up Playlist

On Mental Health Awareness Day I posted a blog – Pick-Me-Up-Playlist #MentalHealthAwareness

Listening to music is a great way to help you get through the day. Whether you’re playing music from your phone, laptop or a vinyl turntable get your favourite tracks on to keep you uplifted and sing your heart out.

 Hopefully listening to a little music can help to take your mind off of some of your painful symptoms or maybe it might just put you to sleep. Update your Pick-Me-Up Playlist.

Happy Humming.

3. Buy a new pair of Slipper Socks

 

In my previous self-care blog, I mentioned about getting some new Jim Jams. In this post I’ll suggest a new pair of slipper socks to go with some new jim jams, hehe.

Slipper socks are a great way to stay warm whilst indoors, get some cute ones to keep you cheerful during the winter time.

Here’s a pair of strawberry socks from e-Bay for £2.99 (pack of 3), aren’t they cute…🍓💖

4. Make yourself a cup of Herbal Tea 🍵

 

 

‘I LOVE PEPPERMINT TEA’! That’s what my teacup should really say, haha. Honestly, I really do love peppermint tea.

Peppermint tea actually has quite a few medicinal benefits as well as tasting nice. It’s been good for soothing stomach aches, cramps, heartburn, diarrhea, indigestion and many other problems that myself and so many of my fellow Spoonies deal with.

If you don’t like the taste of Peppermint you can always try another choice of herbal tea, and why not add a cheeky slice of cake to go with it as well. Go on treat yourself.

Herbal tea suggestions:

• Peppermint
• Chamomile
• Cinnamon
• Fennel
• Ginger
• Hibiscus
• Echinacea Tea
• Rooibos Tea

*I added this suggestion to my first self-care post, as it’s currently winter time a hot drink is definitely a great option*

5. Re-usable Filtration Mask

There are so many germs around this time of year and I’m sure they have a vendetta to destroy every Spoonies life. For a fairly decent functioning human being, it may be just a regular cold because they can get up & carry on doing the things they want to do, but for me and other Spoonies, a ‘regular cold‘ is dangerous. Colds, flu and other viruses/infections result in the Chronically ill being bed bound, our chronic pain is amplified and it means our bodies shut down.

To keep safe you could use a filtration mask to not only protect yourself from germs spreading at this time of year but also to prevent others from being infected if you already feel you’ve caught something air-born.

Whilst wearing my re-usable filtration mask I’ve been called, an alien, a gangster and probably some other stuff that went through people’s minds whilst wearing it. Regardless of how you look, protecting yourself IS A MUST!

 

I will eventually do more product reviews and test out other brands of filtration mask, but for now, you can read the one posted recently.

POTM: Cambridge Mask Co.

6.Heat Pad

 

My back is becoming increasingly painful & I’m not sure if my CRPS is getting worse or if it’s something else. These Cura-Heat pads have literally helped me get through these last couple of months, they’re a fantastic product to use if you’ll be out of the house for any appointments or outings as they last for 24 hours so it’s like having a hot water bottle on your back but without having to refill them all the time whilst you’re out and about

 

7. Pick up a craft you can achieve in bed to occupy yourself

Last on my list but definitely not least is to take up a craft. Winter time is the slowest season & torturous season for a Spoonie, most of which will be housebound and or limited to the things that we can do to keep ourselves positively occupied. Picking up a craft to do during the winter will help to keep you active physically and mentally, distract you from some of the pain that comes with chronic illness life and also gives you a task to look forward to and achieve. Choose something that you can accomplish whilst in bed or around a desk if you have enough energy to prop yourself up.

Since the beginning of the year, I have been expanding my artistry and making hand-made Pick-Me-Up Spoonie Cards (PMU Cards – you can read my post about it HERE). This project has given me something to do whilst housebound, in a flare-up

 

A few craft suggestions:

 

• Colouring book
• Drawing/painting
• knitting/crochet
• word search
• puzzles
• songwriting
• poem writing

 

*Try to take pictures, videos or voice recordings of your craft progression. Over time you’ll be surprised at how far you’ve come with it* ☺

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Last Tip:

If you have trouble with remembering things, maybe you could try writing your self-care list down in a diary and tick it off when you’ve done it. Or you could set some alarms at specific times to remind you to have some relaxation time.

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So there we have it, 7 Self Care ideas for Spoonies (Winter Edition).

Thanks for stopping by, leave a comment down below and let me know what things you have on your self-care list for the rest of the month?

I hope you have a good week & wish you an abundance of Spoons

Laura

XOXO

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Pinterest – Follow @LauraSpoonie

Etsy – Follow @LauraSpoonieArt

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If you enjoy my content –  Support Me on Ko-fi

 

Thanks for stopping by.

Laura,

XOXO