I’ve been really pushing my self to practice good self care this year. I’m a lot more organised than I have been, so I’ve been doing a lot more, and for me that’s usually a sure fire way to burn out. Self care stops that from happening! So, I want to talk a little about what it is I’m doing and how that’s going.
The big one is that I’m exercising at least 3 times a week. This is one I’ve always tried to do, but this year is the first time it’s ever consistently happened. It doesn’t do an awful lot, if anything, for my mental health, as much as people have always told me it will help. It has put me in a routine though, and it’s nice knowing that I’m doing something good for my body.
Along with that, I’ve been visiting the sauna and steam room a couple of times a week. Sometimes I’m on my own in there, and it’s a bit of a meditative experience. Other times there are lots of women in there, and it’s so nice being able to sit around with lots of other women to just look after ourselves and relax!
With exercising more often, I feel more okay about taking a while to get ready, so I’ve been moisturising pretty much my entire body almost daily, exfoliating properly and all that stuff. It’s only 10-15 minutes a day but has had a really positive impact on how my skin looks and feels, and how I feel about my body!
A lot of people probably wouldn’t see this as self care, but I’ve been making sure to eat at least one meal a day. I’m someone that will quite happily have a couple of snacks, and be done with my eating for the day, so pushing myself to eat at least one real meal with a protein, a carb and some veg has helped me feel a lot better. It’s a small step to eating properly, but I have to start somewhere!
Once a week, I’ve been taking a night to do the fun self care stuff, like having a nice bath, painting my nails, doing a face mask and all that kind of stuff. This kind of stuff is seen as ‘cutesy’ self care, but it makes me feel ready to take on the week when I know my hair, nails and skin are all as well looked after and looking as good as they can.
There you have my current self care routine! Not the most comprehensive or glamorous, but it keeps me going for now!
What kind of self care do you practice?
-Dana
Carry on Beautiful! 