Long week? Trust me, it can really kick you in the a**, but the best way to relieve your stress and anxiety from a busy week is to treat yourself. I know that several people praise the idea of “treating yourself” and “self-care,” but it is truly beneficial for your mental, physical and emotional health. Putting a self-care routine into your week will make sure that you are balancing all the craziness around you while placing yourself first, making you feel happier and more energetic.
Personally, my favorite day to have a self-care day is Sunday. Sundays already serve as a fresh start to a new week and what better way to start off your week than to have a self-care day?
There are multiple self-care steps you can take to make you feel refreshed and loved. Watching your favorite movie and sipping on a fine glass of wine is no doubt one of my favorites, but you can also take more proactive approaches to treat yourself.
1. baths
There is nothing more soothing and relaxing than a nice bath on a Sunday night. I personally favor extremely hot bath water to ease my muscles, but make sure to find the right temperature for you. There are some days when the bathwater is too hot, and I end up jumping out cursing as to why I did not check prior to going into it. Temperature checking is key to the perfect bath.
If you are unsure where to start with giving yourself the ultimate spa relaxation, I have a couple of things that I use that make me feel like an absolute goddess every time I take a bath.
- Bath Salts/ Soaks
- Candles ( 3 or 4 so you can see with lights shut off)
- Dried rose petals or fresh flowers to surround the space
- Strawberries (to eat because why not)
- Towel
- Music
- Face Mask
- Tea
- Book
Bath soaks, bombs or salts can really set the mood for relaxation and certain scents can trigger stress relievers or even endorphins to optimize your experience. If you are wondering which scent is right for you, whether that be something to calm down your nerves or uplift you if you are feeling down, there are hundreds of choices!
| Aromatherapy Scents | Mood/Physical Benefits |
| 1. Lemon | Promotes concentration, calming and clarifying properties. Helpful for moods such as anger, anxiety, or feeling worn out. Antibacterial properties can help fight colds and boost the immune system |
| 2. Lavender | Calming properties that can help control emotional distress; has a soothing effect on nervous tensions and muscles,; can treat migraines and headaches |
| 3. Rosemary | Improves memory retention, can fight physical exhaustion, mental fatigue, and headaches. It can also be used topically to relieve pains and muscular aches. |
| 4. Cinnamon | Helps fight mental fatigue and can improve focus and concentration. |
| 5. Jasmine | Similar to lavender in that it can calm nerves due to its uplifting capabilities. It can also promote feelings of optimism, confidence, and energy. |
| 6. Peppermint | It has brainstorming properties; is also an energy booster, promotes concentration, and stimulates clear thinking. |
For more essential oils or aromatherapy scents to look at, you can check out these websites!
Essential Oil Scents: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wellness/a20707661/essential-oils-in-bath/
Benefits of Hot Baths and Essential Oils: https://www.sonomalavender.com/blogs/news/how-you-can-boost-these-remarkable-benefits-of-hot-baths-with-essential-oils
2. Masks
I could really go on an entire tangent about how much I love face masks because there is something so empowering about taking care of your skin. There is a multitude of options that you are able to choose from whether that be sheets masks, peel-offs, or even wash-off masks. Elevating your skincare once a week by applying a face mask can clear your skin, add moisture to dry skin, or even reduce oiliness depending on your skin type. It is essential that you are checking the ingredients to make sure that there is nothing you are potentially allergic to. You can do the infamous patch test by applying a small amount of the mask on your wrist and waiting 24 hours to see if your skin reacts. Unless the mask specifically states that is it supposed to tingle or burn, do not keep it on once you feel those sensations. A mask typically should feel soothing unless it is for breakouts which could have a specific acne-targeted treatment causing that tingling sensation.
Different ingredients target certain skin types. If you are curious about a product, I highly recommend looking at customer reviews or even asking an employee that works at a beauty store what masks would suit your skin. I typically will watch reviews on YouTube or other social media platforms, so the user is able to show the benefits of the mask that I am interested in.
Apply a face mask routine into your self-care day, trust me your skin will give you a huge thank you!
Face mask links:
30 Best Face Masks for All Skin Types
12 Best Face Masks for Every Skin Type
Other ways to treat ya’self
If you are not the skincare, bath kind of girl that’s completely fine! There are many other ways that you are able to treat yourself even if it’s something small.
A list of my favorite other “self-care” things that make me happier:
- Buy yourself flowers (Trader Joes has roses and bouquets for $5)
- Paint on canvas
- Do yoga
- Go to Cayce Riverwalk with a book in hand
- Cook something from scratch
- Buy yourself a treat as a reward for a tough week
- Visit a local art museum
- Visit a nearby plant store
- Buy yourself coffee from your favorite small business and sit without working
- Listen to podcast and clean your room/safe place
Ultimately, treating yourself is the key to maintaining your personal well-being. Giving yourself a reward, even something as small as doing yoga will give you more motivation to do the same routine over and over again without getting bored. Self-care goes a long way from just taking baths and using masks; it’s about prioritizing yourself. Get in tune with your mind and body by giving it what it needs and the attention it deserves for putting up with the daily bullsh*t.