Everything has been just fine for the past 11 months. Same-old, mundane lifestyle. With the pandemic taking a hit on my productivity & affecting my interest in doing the most basic things, one day, I spontaneously decided that some self-care was the POA for the night. I haven’t ever been gladder about making a spontaneous decision in my life.
I don’t really consider myself to be a spiritual person but taking out just 10-15 minutes for myself everyday has drastically changed my daily pattern. Taking time out for myself could vary based on the vibe of the day. Sometimes, I’d use those 15 minutes to put on a face mask & blast some music in my room, whereas other times I’d just lay on my bed and think actively about the smallest good & bad decisions I made that day. It didn’t even specifically have to be during the night. When I felt tired & unmotivated after classes at 4 PM, I’d run to my mom & ask her about her day: how she felt, what she ate, if there was any new gossip…you get the point! You’d be surprised as to how much these little activities can alter your state of mind to feeling sharper & more in-tune with yourself on the daily.
Starting off this journey was harder than I thought it would be, more so, because sometimes it’s difficult to convince yourself that self-care does not equate to ‘wasting your time procrastinating’. I needed to remember that my wellbeing mattered too, & that sometimes not doing any work for 15 minutes counted more against battling procrastination than sitting at my desk, blankly staring at my screen. It’s these little reminders to take care of yourself that you need to keep in mind, be it via using sticky notes on your desk to remind you to unfurrow your brows & unclench your jaw, or having reminders pop up on your phone screaming “Self-Care Time!”.
I’m going to share some tips that helped me get started on my journey, because frankly if I can push myself to do it, you DEFINITELY can (my friends can attest to this!).
- Best Way To Get Started
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Reading ‘Think Like A Monk’ by Jay Shetty was my biggest motivation to start these self-care nights. It’s a great book if you’re interested in understanding why keeping track of your emotions is a great idea in the long run.
- Engross Yourselves w/ Podcasts & Videos
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Listen to podcasts & watch videos you can relate to. It’ll surprise you to see how much people think and feel alike. Some great podcasts I personally listen to are “Good Life Project”, “Airplane Mode”, “Bad With Money” & “Let’s Talk:” I also watch quite a few fashion vloggers on YouTube & for me, they work as great motivators.
- Keep Track!
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Keep track of how you treat people & how you feel every day. It will 100% bring about an unconscious change in how you behave around people in the best way possible.
- Find Something You Love Doing
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Getting into skincare has been my favorite form of self-care. It’s practically what I do most often every morning & night for 15-20 minutes. Nothing better than looking great & feeling great!
At the end of the day, remember that prioritizing yourself is not a luxury it is most definitely a necessity you MUST afford!