Foolproof Ways to Show Yourself Some Extra Love Today
Feeling stressed as the summer comes to a close, and "back to school" season arrives? While this may be an unconventional year, the stress or anxiety that comes with the changing seasons and new commitments can sometimes get the best of us. Take a minute to show yourself some extra love.
Self care can look like different things for different people, and definitely vary in terms of what you need. Here are some of my favorite ways to practice self care— some productive and some just fun!
Schedule out everything and plan for the week.
I like to sit down, usually on Sundays or Mondays, and visualize my week in terms of obligations, schedule, and tasks for the week. This helps to ensure I'm getting everything done that I need to, and helps me combat any midweek lapses in motivation. With my job role and general hours shifting, and my newfound love for pilates, it's super helpful to have all of my time commitments in one place- I can be at work on time, and make it to all my fave Pure Barre classes!
Get your body moving!
While I recognize that fitness classes, and wellness as a trend can be inaccessible for some (recognizing privilege here!) there are ways to get active that are super affordable and easy to squeeze in to any schedule. You can find free yoga classes on YouTube, and other free or cheap workouts on multiple apps (I personally love FitOn and Nike Training Club) with a range of options. Not only will these help alleviate stress, but by maintaining an active lifestyle, you are caring for your body in a way that will aid you in staying mobile and physically healthier for longer! I encourage you to have the mentality that you get to move, and you are lucky to, rather than "having to work out." It helps with motivation as well as identifying something to be grateful for.
Attitude Check.
Going off of the theme of gratefulness from above, sometimes the best way for me to care for my mental health is by doing a little attitude check, or mental inventory of my mood. By identifying how I'm feeling, making a point to express gratitude for at least one thing (which can be something as small as your coffee or a pretty cloud in the sky) and analyzing any stressors in my day, I am more in tune with my emotions. Doing this frequently helps me with my anxiety, but it also helps me to be a better communicator to others- making me a better friend, family member, and employee.
Eat a piece of cake.
Or don't. Whatever feels best to you today. My point here isn't to be contradictory, or to confuse you. Take a second to really listen to your body and honor that need. If nothing sounds better to you than a piece of chocolate cake, eat it! And if you know that what you're really craving is some delicious, roasted veggies, that's great too!! I encourage you to really set aside time to listen to your body, rather than living in a constant state of restriction (or alternatively, bingeing) and practice intuitive eating. While this may look different day to day, it has helped me a lot with stress in regard to food, and can be a powerful tool to utilize.
Face Masks!
The fun part!! Slather on your fave face mask (bonus points if it's a DIY!) and put on your favorite playlist/podcast/tv show or unplug, and read or journal. Setting aside time on your routine to treat yourself to at least 15 minutes of pure leisure and soothing self care in the mornings or evenings (or heck, why not both if you have the time?) can be transformative to your overall health.
Self care can look so different between people, and even different daily, depending on our needs.
By setting aside a couple moments to do an introspective dive into your mental and physical needs each day, you are already treating yourself well. Listen to those needs and you will feel so much more cared for in no time! I feel my most fulfilled and in tune with myself and my surroundings when I'm regularly following these tips, and I encourage you to try some out! It's all about progress, not perfection, so even if implementing all of them is a challenge, one or two can make a big difference. You are so, so worthy of love— treat yourself like it!!