Did you know, it isn’t selfish to take a bubble bath after a long day and ignore the world?
So many people don’t care for themselves as much as they care for others, whether it be parents, business leaders, or just every day people… they neglect themselves for life.
Self care is care provided “for you, by you.” It’s about identifying your own needs and taking steps to meet them. It is taking the time to do some of the activities that nurture you. Self care is about taking proper care of yourself and treating yourself as kindly as you treat others
Everyday you need to do something for yourself. Lock yourself in the bathroom and play Candy Crush (is that even a thing anymore?) for 15 minutes, read before you go to bed, sit outside with a glass of wine… these are just a few ways you can nurture yourself.
Lets list a few more…
- Watch the sunset or sunrise
- Put up seasonal decoration you love
- Sit in the grass and just breath
- Go window shopping
- Watch a thunderstorm (safely!)
- Go for a drive, grab yourself a beverage from Starbucks or a corner store
- Buy yourself a trashy magazine, and read it before bed
- Listen to music you loved as a teen or young adult (Hello Sean Paul!)
- Download a Karaoke app on your phone and sing
- Listen to an audio book
- Call a friend
- Light a candle and sit in the dark
- Bake something you want to eat and indulge in
- Spray your bed with linen spray before you go to sleep
- Put on lotion and/or perfume
- Make a homemade hair or face mask
- Sample perfumes at local department stores, ask for samples for later use at home
- Buy yourself flowers
- Get a massage
- Take a long and luxurious bath
- Put clean sheets on your bed and climb in
- Notice how the wind feels blowing across your wind and body (bonus points if you’re wet from the bath!)
- Massage your arm, foot, hand or leg
- Exercise
- Do yoga
- Go for a walk by yourself
- Eat some candy (or whatever you like!)
- Take a class like cooking, spinning, makeup, etc…
- Watch your favorite TV show
- Play video games
- Play a game on your cell phone
- Reaad a book
- Get lost on Youtube
- Do a puzzle
- Buy something on the internet
- Get a haircut
- People watch at the mall
- Plant flowers or start a garden
- Rearrange the furniture in your house
- Visit the library or book store, and take home/buy a book for yourself to read at night
- Have cocoa with whipped cream
- Go to local festivals
- Write yourself a love letter
- Get a manicure
- Take a nap/sleep in
- Treat yourself to a self tan
Now, pick your favorite from this list and implement them to your day. It’s so important to take care of yourself that you need to do this as much as you need to cook dinner for your family. What good is dinner if Mommy is burnt out, cranky and ready for a nap because she’s overwhelmed. Hire a teenage babysitter for an hour, call over a friend to take over, figure out a way to get out and enjoy yourself. Heck, if you need to put the kids to bed early and swear it’s the same bedtime as usual, who am I to judge?
What will you do for yourself, today? Ask yourself that every morning!
