Hi friends!
In this week’s post I thought I would share some of my self care tips. Self care is so important, especially when maintaining your mental health.
Self care is something that in the last few years I have really made a point to prioritize. Making time for and taking care of myself is so important. And it’s really just about finding the things that make you stop for a moment, make you relax and de-stress, and make you happy.
For me I have found a few things that are in my repertoire for when I need some self care, things I can always count on to make me feel good and taken care of.
Meditation is my number one thing I do when I feel overwhelmed. It’s such a good way to calm down and take care of myself. Taking even just 15 minutes to sit by myself, focus on my breath and center my thoughts is a great way to release any stress or tension I might feel and just make my day better.
Taking a bath is something I love doing. Putting in some lovely smelling bath soaps and making it a bubble bath or even just some nice bath salts or a bath bomb, lighting some candles, putting on relaxing music (Enya always works for me to put me in a relaxing mood), and bringing a good book makes for a wonderfully relaxing bath.
Reading a really good book is something that has always helped me to relax. I love reading, I always have since I was a little girl. Getting lost in a story, being transported to another place, and experiencing things outside of my everyday life has always been so fun to me. It is also a good mindfulness practice as you are focusing on the moment you are in and don’t think about whatever might be bringing you stress or hardship. It is a great form of self care.
Watching a good movie, lighting some candles, maybe a scented one, making some popcorn or whatever your favorite snacks are, and putting on your comfiest clothes. Either watching a classic or an all-time favorite over again, or something new and exciting. Having a good movie night is one of my favorite ways to spend some time with myself and take care of myself.
Baking is something I have always loved doing. Taking the time to make something with your hands, getting to be a little creative in the decorating, and then the smell of freshly baked goods that fills your entire home. It’s one of my favorite pastimes.
A pamper night always makes me feel better and calmer and more centered. Taking a long shower where I shave my full legs, doing a hair mask, and scrubbing my skin so I come out all soft and smooth. Then doing a face mask, a foot bath, and painting my nails, all while burning a scented candle. Having a spa night where I pamper myself is one of my favorite self care practices.
Music, make a playlist of your favorite songs and have a dance party. Just letting loose and dancing like nobody’s watching makes you feel amazing. Or take a drive and put the music on really loud and sing along without caring about what you sound like. Music is an amazing form of raising your vibration.
Taking a long walk out in nature or by the sea. Getting some fresh air, getting to move your my, and feeling that connectedness with mother earth makes me feel instantly better. I usually put on a podcast or some music, but sometimes it’s nice to just listen to the sounds of nature all around you. It calms my soul right away.
Exercising is also a great form or self care. Taking care of your body in turn means taking care of your mind. Finding the time to do any type of exercise where you move your body is incredibly helpful for your mental health as well as your physical health. And it doesn’t have to be excessive in order to have those helpful benefits.
Having a good cuddle sesh with Happy, or really any pet or cuddly animal you can get your hands on, haha!
Skin Care is probably one of my favorite forms of self care. Having that time in the morning and at night even just to do my everyday skin care routine, it brings me calm and is definitely a way for me to show myself some love. Massaging in the products into my skin and having that time to just be and take care of my skin, it makes me happy. This also applies to make up for me. I truly believe you should only wear make up if it brings you joy and for me it does. Putting on my make up gives me some time to just be by myself and it’s enjoyable in a similar way that skin care is for me.
Self care is really about spending time on yourself, for yourself. However you choose to take care of yourself, it’s important to take the time to do it.
I know in today’s society productivity is so highly valued and we feel like if we engage in these types of self care practices it means we are wasting our time or not being productive enough with our time, but sometimes it’s important to be able to slow down and take in the moment and just relax and breathe. Burn out is so common nowadays, and especially with the last year and a half we have just lived through it’s more important than ever to be more patient with ourselves and have grace for when we need to rest and not really do anything. For when we need some self care and self love.
Let me know in the comments how you like to practice self care, if you have any other tips that I did not mention. And now go take some time for some self care!
Until next time!
One Response
I have been reading out many of your posts and i can state nice stuff. I will make sure to bookmark your site.