Love Yourself With Self-Care
Self-care is very important and underrated. One of the things I love about self-care and find wonderful is that it has different definitions, depending on who you ask. Self-care can be as small as stuffing your face with Oreos after a long, mentally draining, and overall exhausting day, and as sobering as seeing a therapist regularly. The way I practice self-care is relatively simple. The most natural and easiest form of it for me is working out. Going to the gym is self-care to me because I’m doing it for myself and nobody else. I view it as a deeply personal endeavor. Exercising almost every day provides me with not just physical strength, but mental clarity as well.
My definition of self-care consists of lighting a candle, slathering on a face mask, doing my nails, soaking in a warm bath until I’m a human sized prune, and watching something on Netflix or Hulu that makes me laugh with Cheeto puff crumbs on my shirt. It’s when I spend time alone and bask in it. Sometimes, it’s when I can look ugly at home and enjoy it. It’s when I switch my phone to do-not-disturb and kind of disconnect for a while. Self-care doesn’t require a ton of energy for me, which is deliberate of course, since I think I’m lazier than most people. Furthermore, I believe it’s immensely important to have those days where you spend quality time with nobody but yourself. I relish in all of the activities mentioned above because they make me feel great and also, they’re rather therapeutic and make me feel peaceful.
At the risk of sounding like almost every woman in the world, I’m obsessed with candles. I love the pleasant scent they exude. And I appreciate the cozy, comforting, and calming environment they elicit. I have spent an obscene amount of money on candles and I’m not ashamed; candles are fantastic, and they make me happy! Furthermore, face masks are a staple in my skin care routine, but really a staple in my life since skin care is so crucial to me. Obviously face masks are beneficial for your skin and can improve the quality of it overall. However, I take it a step further sometimes and convince myself all my problems will be fixed with a face mask. In all seriousness, a wave of calmness does engulf me when I’m literally spreading a mask on my face because putting something on my face that I know is helping it, relaxes me a lot.
I used to hate baths because the idea of basically laying in one’s filth, seemed disgusting and counterproductive to me. However, now, I’m no longer opposed to the idea and find it quite soothing. Reading in the tub is also nice because it’s a special kind of alone time; with zero distractions. Bringing my phone with me into the tub, sounds like the complete opposite of a tranquil time. I think when the idea is to unwind and chill out for a while, being on your phone is the most disruptive thing you can possibly do. So, I tend to avoid that and opt for a calmer option and grab a book instead. Whatever self-care means to you, I think it should be practiced frequently. For your sanity, health, and overall wellness.
