When you do things to look after yourself this is called Something you do to look after yourself.self-care.
Self-care can be as simple as spending time doing things you like. They help you feel happy and relaxed.
In this 4 minute video disabled young people talk about what self-care means to them.
There are many ways that the NDIS can support you with self-care.
In this 4 minute video disabled young people talk about how the NDIS supports them with self-care.
There’s lots of things you can do as self-care at home. For example:
Reading a book
Watching Netflix
Colouring
Playing board games and video games
Art
Research shows that spending time outdoors in nature is good for your health and helps you relax. There are lots of self-care activities you can do outdoors. For example:
Playing sport
Going for a walk or bike ride
Reading a book in your backyard
Playing with your dog
Going to the park
There are lots of ways to bring nature indoors too. For example:
Have indoor plants
Make sure you have enough natural light
Open your windows to let fresh air in
Exercise helps you stay healthy. There are lots of ways to exercise including going for a walk or going to the gym. There are free workout videos on YouTube so you can even exercise at home.
The NDIS can support you to exercise and stay healthy if that is your goal. For example, the NDIS may pay for:
A support worker to go to the gym with you
A type of exercise for your muscles.Physiotherapy sessions
You to try out a new sport
For example, Luke is a wheelchair user and loves sport. His goal was to try adapted skiing, so he could use his NDIS money to hire the adapted equipment he needed.
Eating healthy food is a form of self-care. The NDIS can support you to eat healthily if that is your goal. For example, the NDIS may pay for:
Cooking classes
A support worker to help you prepare meals
Healthy meals delivered to your house
You to see a Someone whose job is to help other people eat healthy foods.dietitian
Looking after your The feeling of being well and able to do the things you normally do.mental health and how you feel is important.
Sometimes you may feel sad, worried or angry. You may not want to do the things you normally like doing. You may feel When you feel a lot and you don’t know what to do about it.overwhelmed like everything is just too much.
There is nothing wrong with feeling this way. Lots of people can feel this way.
It is important to understand how you are feeling and what you can do to feel better.
If you want to learn about looking after your mental health click on the link below. The link has more detailed information.
Spending time with people who make you happy is important for self-care.
You can meet up with your friends in person, FaceTime, or chat to them on social media. It is important to feel connected and part of a community.
The NDIS can support you to meet new people and stay connected if that is your goal. For example, the NDIS may pay for:
You to attend clubs and meet new friends
A support worker to do fun activities with you