Self-Care Ideas (because it’s not all green tea and mindfulness)

It’s a daunting task to commit time completely to yourself in a society that sometimes paints that behaviour as selfish. I don't know too many people who want to be labeled as self-centered so we often ask ourselves, shouldn’t we be doing more? Helping more people? Donating? Volunteering? But when you’re running low and feel like you're about to cry out niagra falls, it’s essential to take care of yourself. You can’t help anyone with an empty tank. It’s more than just listening to Hailee Steinfeld's Love Myself, it’s not just filling up the bathtub, getting in for five minutes just to get the insta than rushing back to your work. Self care is consciously putting in an effort to take care of your physical, mental and emotional health. Why do it? Easy- You're worth it. 

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Here’s a list to help you refuel.

  1. The 1975's new album is upbeat/techno/funky mixed with slow and melodic rhythms that will keep you calm without sending you into a full heart breaking sob session.

  2. Look at this video (I laughed for a week minimum) 

  3. Paint your nails. Focusing on them will help distract you from what your thinking about.

  4. Put on Taylor Swift: preferably upbeat, preferably pre-pop. Jamming out to "Sparks Fly" always makes me a little happier.

  5. Call a friend. Don’t even call just text them "hello". Say you don’t want advice, you just want to rant, you just need someone to be there with you. I was having an insanely bad aniexty attack and trying to console me, tell me I was overreacting, or tried to fix my problem for me, she was simply there for me. She didn’t judge me, she gave me space and let me work through my issues. Knowing I wasn’t fully alone allowed me to ground myself. Feeling her hand in mine I knew I had support.

  6. Get a piece of paper and draw the first thing you see. 

  7. Go for a strut. That’s right, not just a walk. I want you to put on your flyest outfit, and strut down the busiest street you can find like a VS angel straight of the runway. (It helps if Beyonce’s playing in the background)

  8. Watch an awfully good romantic comedy. Find comfort in the corny jokes, the rule abiding framework of boy meets girl, and the sappy ending.

  9. Plan a road trip you don’t have to go on. No budget. Google map your route, try and find the weirdest things that you could do on that route.

  10. Go on google maps, use street view on a new country and try and find; a dog, a cheese shop, a couple, and a clown.

These things may not seem like self-care, but these are the things that help me relax and recharge. Self-care doesn’t have to be one defined thing, you don’t have to be doing anything right. Take care of yourself, whether that’s knitting or learning to twerk; whatever helps you is right.

 

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