The Importance of Self-Care & My Self-Care Routine
I recently talked about my journey with self-love and the more that time goes on I have realized how self-care is a necessary component within practicing self-love. Working full time and trying to get my freelance career going has meant that I have very little free time and the free time I do have is normally dedicated to seeing friends, being with my family, or spending time with my boyfriend, which means I have very little time to just be by myself. As someone who is a true introvert, I need time to be completely by myself to feel energized and refreshed. I have learned, especially in the past few weeks, that taking time for myself and really being present for myself is absolutely essential for my well-being and feeling like I’m really taking care of myself.
As I’ve become more and more aware of what exactly it is that I need to feel refreshed and energized, I’ve been able to implement a more solid routine for self-care. That’s not to say that it’s absolutely perfect, because it’s still definitely a work in progress and something that I will continue to hone in on.
One of the most important elements of my self-care routine is unplugging. I am normally attached to some kind of device at all times whether it be my phone or my computer. As nice as it is to unwind by watching a load of shows on Netflix, it never helps me totally relax and feel like I’m doing something good for myself. The simple act of reading for an hour or so has a drastic impact on me feeling refreshed after a long day because it is done with a lot more intention. It’s also easier to stay present when I’m reading than it is if I’m binge watching Netflix or scrolling through Instagram on my phone.
Another element of my self-care routine that I really need to work on more is excercise and being more rigorous with myself about sticking to some sort of a routine. Oftentimes the nights where I would benefit the most from doing exercise are the nights that I’m exhausted from work and convince myself that I can’t possibly excercise. I would like to get back into a routine of doing yoga especially because it is easily the most relaxing and enjoyable forms of excercise I have done.
Finally, there’s the pampering aspect of a good self-care routine. In some ways I kind of hate the word pamper night, because it sounds superfluous and vain, but sometimes doing a face mask and taking a long bath is exactly what you need to feel human again. Lately I’ve really been enjoying doing epsom salt baths because not only do they help to relieve muscle soreness, but the magnesium is really good for you if you have very high stress levels. Even the simple act of lighting my favorite Byredo Bibliothèque can have a huge effect on my mood when I’m trying to get into relaxation mode. I have also gotten in the habit of doing more face masks during the week, some of my favorites include the Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask, the Glossier Moon Mask, and the Glossier Mega Greens Galaxy Pack.