When you are needed to do more and more, it is too easy to allow self-care to be the first thing to drop. It is important to allow yourself time to relax, unwind and reflect. Maintaining your own resources and keeping regulated is important to us all. Adoption UK will continue to share self-care advice, materials, hints and tips for the whole community to use on our social media channels. Self-care means something different to everyone and, if you have any tricks that work for you, then please share them on our social media feeds, email ([email protected]) or on our Forum.

Take 10 minutes to yourself to...

• Sit down with a mug of your favourite hot drink without multi-tasking
• Go and get a breath of fresh air by taking a short walk or jog outside
• Do some yoga/stretches - perhaps following a YouTube video (see recommendations below)
• Find a guided meditation (the Insight app has loads of free guided meditations of varying lengths)
• Read one of the articles or blogs or listen to a podcast below.
• If you don't have 10 minutes, just pause for 30 seconds to take three long deep breaths!

Blogs

• Staff story
• Self care during Covid - Clare's couch to 5k journey!
• An adopter's self-care journey - part 1
• An adopter's self-care journey - part 2
• Mindfulness and lockdown

Useful Articles

• Self care - the barriers and basics for Adoptive Parents 
• The PIES Wellness Wheel 
• Psychology Today - Seven Types of Self Care Activities
• 10 Self care lessons you can learn from a Counsellor
• How to develop and practise self regulation 
• Self-care for the carers

Podcasts, social media & apps

• Ten podcasts to give you a boost
• Insight app - guided meditations and meditation timer
• Yoga with Adrienne - YouTube
• Download our social media guide