4 Ways to Practice Self-Care.
Each of us has our own story. Every story has its ups and downs. Often when we find ourselves lost in the “downs,” we can lose sight of one of the most important things in life: self-care.
Self-care can vary depending on the person. Also, the idea of self-care can often be misunderstood as self-improvement. As women, there is the societal agenda that to take care of ourselves means to fix what we believe to be wrong with us, especially when it comes to our physical insecurities. This includes dieting, weight loss, and spending hundreds of dollars to look like the picture perfect person.
Practicing self-care means to do things that make you feel happy and ground you. Consider it as finding the little things in life that make you smile a little brighter. While that may sound simple, it is completely okay in finding initial difficulties. According to Healthline.com, “The Harris Poll reported self-care isn’t a priority for consumers because 44 percent of consumers believe self-care is only possible for people with enough time, and 35 percent believe self-care is only possible for those with enough money.”
So here we are, trying to navigate self-care in a way that is accessible, both financially and time wise. Here are four ways to practice self care:
Cold-turkey is not the answer, unfortunately…
Temporarily numbing behaviors such as excess social media usage or eating/drinking unhealthy food is often mistaken as self-care, when in fact if you have a slip up, can cause you to feel worse about yourself. We don’t want or need that negativity. Think long-term instead. What thing can you add to your life that can be easy to upkeep and consistently make you happy?
Start small!
Self-care does not need to be an overnight process where the next day you initiate 40 plans to be happier. Start with one or two. Try finishing the book you bought on a whim four months ago or pick a recipe you have been dying to cook and ya know, cook it. Doing small things for the pleasure of only yourself is a great way to begin practicing self-care.
My go-to is a bath. It helps me reset the tone of the day. I also like to light a candle and turn my phone on do not disturb, even if it means I’m staring at a wall for a while. It helps to disconnect from obligations and not feel tempted to numb out.
Plan for the future, but in a non-intimidating-existential-crisis-about-what-the-future- holds type of way.
Considering we are starting small, plan a trip with friends or yourself that's small or even local. Having a day where you know what's going to happen and when can have a calming effect. Also making sure to fill the trip with activities that you’ll enjoy will make it worthwhile.
While looking at rentals in another city can inspire you to move away, sometimes it has the opposite effect and can overwhelm. One of my favorite days was an unexpected day off (or friendship day) where a friend and I took off and had brunch while exploring a town an hour away.
Connect with others and connect with yourself.
Spending time with the people you care about that have a positive impact on your life is extremely important. Checking-in with yourself can be just as beneficial. Regular Facetime calls, walks and talks with a friend all seem to help ground me in the present.
In a pinch here’s my list when I’m feeling overwhelmed:
Bubble bath w/ epsom salts and lavender (a natural energy clearing herb)
Tea - holy basil for an energy boost
Relaxing playlist - love this Chill one on Spotify
Phone on Do Not Disturb
Quick workout - like 15 minute burner
Easy recipe, like this one
Make a plan - I love structure, just not too much. I balance my QB on Fridays and personal accounts on Mondays, that type of thing. So getting out the planner to create a loose routine helps to ground me.
Read that smutty af book - Neon Gods is a great one to whisk me away ;)
