Let’s Talk Self Care

Picture: The flight into Cusco, Peru by Kyla Alexandre

Let’s talk self-care… It comes in different shapes and sizes and looks different for everyone. Today, I want to talk about self-care with you and give you a list of somethings you can do. If you are like me, you suck at taking care of yourself. I’m a bit of a workaholic and forget that I also need to check in on myself. Ever since I started this website, I have learned so many things, including learning how to better take care of myself. With self-care, there’s a stigma around it where it’s either just a face mask (which is a wonderful form of self-care) or it’s selfish and conceited. I’m here to tell you that it’s neither. While a face mask is an act of self-care, it goes deeper than just a face mask. Taking care of yourself, including your skin, acts as an important part of maintaining your health and wellbeing and therefore is an excellent form of self-care. I also don’t think you should feel guilty or selfish for needing to take care of yourself. If you are not feeling your best, how can you be at your best for others if you are not at your best for yourself?

It’s important to remember to be mindful of how you feel and having a mental check-in with yourself every now and then. Every day, I like to do at least one thing that makes me feel good. Sometimes it’s as small as making a yummy cup of tea, or it’s journaling, or it’s ensuring that I get a workout in every single day. Self-care can be anything that makes you feel good and re-centers your balance. You deserve to take a few moments of your day, whether it is a few minutes or a few hours, to take care of your needs amongst the craziness of life.

Here’s a list of things to do for a self-care moment. I have divided the list into timed sections so you can do what you need to within the time you have in your day.

10 minutes or less	15 minutes	20-30 minutes	1 hour or more
Make yourself a cup of tea	Make yourself a yummy snack	Do a workout	Watch an episode of your favorite feel-good show or a feel-good movie
Do some deep breathing exercises	Scroll through Pinterest and find quotes that inspire you	Do a full-blown skin care routine, face masks and all	Go on an adventure and find a cool hike
Do some stretches	Do your skincare routine (this can be done daily :))	Read a chapter of a book	Go on a social media cleanse (this can be an hour or the whole day)
Put on an outfit that makes you feel good	Lie down and listen to music or a podcast	Research something you’ve wanted to learn about (learning is one of my favorite forms of self-care)	Create a feel-good playlist
Light a candle or turn on an essential oil diffuser of a scent that makes you feel good	Make a list of all of the things that make you happy	Call a family member or friend	Make a meal or bake something you really enjoy
Write down affirmations on post-it notes and put them on a mirror for you to see	Sit and meditate for 15 minutes to find your center	Take a drive and listen to your favorite music	Journal and do a solid and lengthy check-in
Look at yourself in the mirror and smile	Go sit outside for a few moments and connect with nature	Create a mood board/vision board	Go through all of your social media and unfollow people who no longer serve you
Do a quick brain dump and let out everything on your mind	Take a walk up and down your street (this is a great thing to do if you want to take a study break)	Take a quick nap	Clean your room and/or organize your life