Self-care is always a good idea. Have a bath, wash your hair, do a facial, paint your nails, do a pedicure, try a new makeup look or hairstyle, exfoliate and moisturise. Spend some time pampering yourself.

I will be the first person to admit that self care is hard because life is busy and it seems selfish to do something fun or not essential when there are other more important things that need to be done. I can always tell when I have been neglecting self care because I get tired and irritable and suffer from low mood. I'm about to go outside with my book and read right now to practice a bit of self care.

Today is R U OK? Day. If someone doesn't ask you if you're ok, here are some tips to check in on yourself. When you're on a plane and they're running through the safety presentation, they always tell parents to put the oxygen mask on themselves, before they look after their children. That's because you can't help anyone else if you've passed out due to lack of oxygen. The same is true with mental health - you can't support anyone else if you're struggling. Journaling is a great way to check in with yourself. Here are some good questions to ask. You can find some great information at the Griffith University website (check out the Check in on yourself links).

Self-care is an important aspect of a healthy, balanced life. There are six main categories of self care: body, mind, emotions, work (study), relationships and spiritual. For more information on this visit https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au. Self-care is a very individual thing - you might hate having a bath but for someone else it's bliss. Find what works for you and try to schedule in a bit of self care each day. It doesn't have to be expensive or take a lot of time. Taking five minutes to brush your hair before bed is quick and free.

You can download our free self-care plan below.