How to Self-Care while at home…
“Work, work, work…Do this, do that, complete that task, take over on that social media campaign, remember to take the food out of the oven, did my kid do his homework… did I switch off the boiler?”
Sounds like your everyday life, right? Right…
When was the last time you did something for yourself? Something truly dedicated to yourself, to enjoy, to indulge, to boost your self-esteem. Can’t remember that either? Right!
It is about time we talked about the importance of Self-Care! What is Self-Care?
How can we Self-Care while we are at home?
Self-Care is all about loving yourself and placing yourself above everyone and everything else. It is all about remembering to stop for a minute and look at what you have achieved and be proud! Maybe give a big hug to yourself! It is all about taking the time to take care about nobody else other than YOU!
Check below my top picks on how to Self-Care while at home:
- Clean House=Clean Me: Don’t you just love it when you have cleaned your house, organised your stuff in the house and then you sit on your comfy sofa looking around a feeling proud about what you have achieved? A well cleaned and organised house offers to you a relaxed state of mind and tranquillity. I usually clean my house on a Sunday morning, while the food is getting ready and, in this way, I have something to anticipate to; Sunday lunch feels like a prize for all of my hard work. And I do enjoy Sunday lunch more when I know that my whole house is clean and smells beautiful. Plus, Monday is just around the corner, so my workstation is all set and ready for the start of the week!
- Organise your Week: Talking about the beginning of the week, take the time on your Sunday to organise your week. And by organising your week I do not just mean organise the work and the projects your have. I mean schedule meetings with yourself and write them down, e.g. Yoga Online Lesson-Monday at 6p.m. If you have it written down as a meeting, like any other important appointment, then you will make sure to stick to it and make it to that online yoga lesson which will help your body, mind and soul and that is what we call self-care.
- Hot Bath: Your day has been productive, and you managed to achieve if not most of your goals and tasks. You did not manage to complete something, but you still have tomorrow to finish it. Do not punish yourself for the task you did not manage to complete. Instead, have a hot bath with some essential oils and spend an hour in your bath tab watching an episode of your favourite TV show on Netflix or have a face mask. Perhaps you want to use that time in the bath to dye your hair since you cannot go to your hairdresser these days. Whatever it is, make your bathroom a sacred relaxing place. You can even pretend that it looks like one of those relaxation retreats somewhere in Bali. Remember! You deserve to relax; you deserve to dedicate an hour to yourself. You deserve Self-Care.
- Sleep is Essential: People have different habits when it comes to sleep. Michelle Obama for example wakes up at 4:30a.m. to work out and starts her day around 6:30a.m. Other people like to sleep early to catch up the first light at 5a.m. and meditate. Others are night owls and have the habit of sleeping late. Whatever your habit is, make sure that you get at least 6-8 hours of sleep so you can fully rest and take on your next busy day. Arianna Huffington dedicated a whole book on the benefits of sleep after herself had a breakdown for working too much and sleeping less and less. Sleep helps your skin as well as your metabolism. So make sure your bedroom is a place of tranquility and peace to embrace your beautiful dreams.
- Take your Vitamins: Taking supplements and following a balanced diet with lots of greens and vegetables is the best possible way of building a strong immune system. Personally, I take vitamin C and Multivitamins every day while taking care of skin, hair and nails with the relevant vitamins by SOLGAR. Vitamin D is also essential as well as selenium which helps a lot with the balance of the thyroid so try to also find foods that include these kind of vitamins. I made it a habit to eat 3 (maximum intake) Brazilian nuts every day which have a serious amount of selenium, magnesium and good fats.
- Exercise Daily: This is one of my most essential tips for Self-Care! Keeping a healthy body helps you keeping a healthy mind! If you exercise your body releases endorphins and you sweat! Sweating is good for your body. Your metabolism works. Your mindset stays in a positive mode and you are making sure to sustain your desirable weight. Make sure you do not miss your exercise appointment. With so many online classes you can create your workout schedule with what excites you to do, while on other days you feel tired you can choose to do low intensity work outs.
- Alone time is precious: We are all staying home, and our time out is limited these days. Some of us have big families around or just our partners and we spend more time together than before. Alone time is essential. Find that corner in the house where you feel comfortable and safe and take the time to read your book, listen to a podcast, write in your journal or just listen to your favourite music while drinking some tea or coffee. Talk to yourself. Evaluate your current situation. Dare to make plans and dream of the things you wish, and you will make them happen. Remember to breathe and say to yourself ‘I can do it!’.
- Lazy Sunday Afternoon: Make sure that your Sunday afternoon is a lazy one. You can watch your favourite TV series or a film you did not have the time to watch before. Perhaps you can enjoy a big piece of the chocolate cake you made… you can because you deserve it. Sunday is the day that you can take it easy on yourself and totally spoil yourself by Self-Caring and have no guilt about it. Make a facial, a mask, a scrub…whatever makes you feel good about yourself! It’s your Sunday and you need to relax and remind to yourself how much you love You! Because you matter!
