Self-care is one of the most important features of health and wellness, especially for people who spend their lives caring for others or have an otherwise busy schedule that leaves them little time for themselves. However, many people end up putting self-care to one side in favor of tending to other peoples’ needs. Whether it’s a demanding job, a busy family life, caring for elderly relatives, supporting clients, or spending time with friends, there are many reasons in life as to why our own needs often end up right at the bottom of our priority lists.
Self-care doesn’t have to be a big thing like booking a weekend retreat – although these big things can certainly be helpful. Self-care should be a series of small things that you do for yourself regularly and consistently, and when you turn them into a ritual they can be much easier to keep up with, regardless of any other demands that are put on you.
Have a Solid Skincare Routine
Making time for a solid skincare routine in the morning and evening can make a huge difference to your day, and it’ll leave your skin looking and feeling its best, which will boost your self-confidence too. The good news is that you don’t need to spend hours or use all the most expensive products when caring for your skin; simply cleansing your skin and applying a good moisturizer can make all the difference you need. You might want to put jojoba oil on your skin; this oil has plenty of excellent properties that can help clear up blemishes, nourish dry skin, and leave you feeling much better.
Remember to Drink Water
Sometimes, self-care is as easy as remembering to take a sip of water every ten minutes or so. One of the easiest things that you can do to make sure that you keep up with this self-care ritual is to invest in a nice reusable water bottle. Insulated water bottles are hugely popular because they will keep your water cold for you and if you don’t like the taste of plain water, try infusing it with some fruit or getting a cold infused fruit teabag. Keep your water with you at all times and have it next to you at your desk so that staying hydrated becomes easy.
Spend Some Time in Nature
If you live close to a park, a woods, or another area where there is a lot of nature to enjoy, then try and get out for a walk in it as often as you can. Taking even a short walk outside in the daylight in the morning, surrounded by trees and flowers, can have a huge range of benefits for both your mental and physical health, even if you can only afford to stay out for ten minutes.
Allow Yourself a Good Bedtime Routine
Getting enough sleep at night is just another way to practice self-care, so make sure you allow yourself a good bedtime routine and treat your bedroom as a sanctuary to relax in. In the morning, making your bed can be a really simple yet powerful act of self-care that helps to set the tone for the day. And in the evening, avoid bringing work to bed with you; put your electronics away for an hour before bed and allow yourself to do something more relaxing like taking a bath or reading a good book.
Self-care doesn’t have to mean indulging in yourself on a huge scale, although that can be beneficial from time to time too. By practicing small, daily self-care rituals you can get into the habit of putting yourself first, no matter how busy you are.
This is a collaborative post supporting our Peace In Peace Out initiative.