Photo By: Saje Wellness
Self care & self-love. These four words have been the topic of conversation in our sphere for quite some time now. When you hear the term “self-care” what’s your first thought?
Do you think of self-care as me-time or pampering? Perhaps a nice-to-have, but not really essential?
Do you think that it’s something that you’ll get to eventually, after everything else on your to-do list is done?
Is “self-care” & “self-love” just a trendy buzz word? Or are they essential elements that need to be talked about more and added into our everyday lives?
This is up to personal opinion, however, if you ask us, self-care it VITAL, yes we said VITAL, if you want to show up as the best version of you in this world.
Ask yourself this, how are you supposed to show up for others, whether that’s your kids, your spouse, work, family, friends, your pet or whoever else, if you aren’t showing up for you?
No matter who you place first before you, it’s important to prioritize taking care of yourself because your physical and mental health are both one of the most important assets you have!
Now, when you think of self-care habits, what comes to mind first for you?
For us, we are not just talking about taking a bubble bath with some roses or watching a movie with a tub of ice cream in hand when you’re feeling down. Instead we are talking about smaller, more subtle self-care habits and practices that you can incorporate into your daily life that can make a huge, positive impact on your life and how you feel.
The ways that self-care can be incorporated into your day-to-day can be broken up into three different categories – MIND + BODY + SOUL. Here are some of our favourite ways you can add self- care for your MIND into your every day routine:
MIND
1. Try to start talking to yourself, like you would someone you love. This may sound a little strange, but this is a game changer! Self-doubt can be one of the most crippling things, when it comes to mental health – so give it a try. Start using words like “can” instead of “can’t” and tell yourself how beautiful you are from the inside out every single day.
2. Create a gratitude journal. This could be kept by your bed to create a morning routine of starting your day by writing down 5-10 things you are grateful for. These could be big things or little things. Everything from food in the fridge to a good friend is worth noting and incredibly uplifting to see on paper. Creating a ritual around giving thanks encourages us to look for the good in our lives. The more we look for it, the more we start to see.
We love journaling in a classic Indigo journal or the 52 Lists for Happiness journal (shown below) to help inspire happiness and balance!
3. Read your favourite book. Reading is so good for the mind + soul. It can take us places to escape, and it can also be extremely informative and healing – depending on what you’re reading. Filling your mind with knowledge and power is never something to be ashamed of, and in fact, should be encouraged.
4. Create a dream or vision board. There are so many benefits to vision boarding, but one of the most positive things about it is it allows you to get really clear. Clear on anything and everything in your life. This has been such a game changer for us and for many of our clients, friends and family members.
5. Make time to get really quiet. This could look like whatever you choose, really – but find time for silence with you, yourself and I. Whether that’s taking a bath alone, doing a puzzle, gardening, knitting, watching the sunrise or simply taking an hour out of your day to listen to your own thoughts, give it a try. Find time to get quiet.
6. Get organized! We have been obsessed with Marie Kondo lately, and her methods have been life-changing. Physical clutter can cause serious mental clutter, so try picking a small space like your desk or a drawer to tackle and then go from there. Tackle an organization project (no matter how small) and feel accomplished and happier!
7. Make a plan. This may sound pretty simple, but having a plan for something in the future can really help feel positive about things that have yet to come. This could be a bucket list, a vacation, a class you want to enrol in, a list of books you want to read or movies you want to see. Making a plan about anything that you’re passionate about gives your mind something to focus on and look forward to.
8. Get up early and make sure you’re getting lot’s of zzzzz’s. It’ goes without saying that the body needs rest in order to show up as the best version of you, but that’s not always as easy as it may seem. Life gets in the way and can stop us from being able to get that full 8-hours of rest we really need. We actually have a whole other blog on the importance of sleep, and you can FIND IT RIGHT OVER HERE!
9. Learn how to say no. It can be tough, but setting limits on your time can help you deal with feelings of anxiety, stress and irritability from taking on too much. Yet, the reality is we can’t show up as our best selves when we’re running on empty. It’s lose/lose. Look at your calendar: is there anything you’ve committed to that you’re actually not looking forward to? I’ll invite you to cancel or reschedule one thing that you already know is not going to fill you up. By saying no, we say yes to ourselves and open the door to other fulfilling activities.
Making time for self-care doesn’t always come naturally for us all, but in order to show up as our best selves, it’s extremely important. We hope that some of these ideas have inspired you to start putting yourself at the top of your priority list. By practicing self-care, you will notice that you will start to know yourself better as a result, and in return you’ll be kinder to yourself and those around you.
Make sure to share all your self-care practices with us by using the hashtag #RawBeautyTalks
– Team Raw Beauty. xoxo
