5 ways to take care of yourself
One of my favorite mantras is “when you look good, you feel good!” I live by this saying because without taking the time to take care of myself how can I show up fully for my own dreams and my loved ones? If I don’t put effort into taking care of my mind, body, and soul how can I muster up the energy to LIVE my life like it’s golden? S/O to Jill Scott! Not taking care of yourself is counterproductive to loving yourself. When I started incorporating these 5 activities into my self-care regimen it changed the way I viewed myself. You can fall in love with YOU too and today I’ll show you how!
1) Exercise
A great way to start showing up for YOU is by introducing different forms of exercise into your regimen. One thing I love about exercise is there are so many different ways to do it so you aren’t bored. You can go to the gym and utilize weights one day; the next day, you can walk around the park, and the next day you can try your hand at a fitness class! I’ve tried Kickboxing, Pilates, Barre, and Rowing, and I plan on trying many more!
You don’t have to do the same form of exercise to see results. I find that doing different forms of exercise allows you to feel the burn in areas of your body you usually wouldn’t feel by sticking to the traditional methods. I know that life be LIFING so I’m not an advocate of working out 24/7, 365 days a year. I’ve read that if you don’t go three days without working out, you can keep the muscle you gained from prior exercise. So, know that you can still implement lazy days and keep your body looking your definition of fit!
2) Treat yourself to an at-home spa experience
Creating your own spa at home can be a great way to relax and treat yourself without having to rely on making an appointment or spending 100s of dollars every time. Now don’t get me wrong, I love paying the experts for nail care, skincare, and hair care, but sometimes it’s a beautiful thing to do those things for yourself on your own time. I grew up watching my mom use the foot spa machine and always keeping her nails and toes soft and painted. The little things make you smile and feel good about yourself.
Besides, if being quarantined during this pandemic taught us anything, we must invest in our places of living to make them as comfortable as needed. You don’t always have to leave your house to have a good time! Here are some of my favorite spa experience items that I use regularly, if not every other week, to take care of myself:
I love having this nail lamp that helps me to dry my hands and toenails quickly in case I start late in the evening or even if I’m doing them before going out. Only spend about 5 minutes per each hand dries them up so you can wash your hands after with no slip-ups. Also, this item is big enough for you to use for drying your toenails, so it’s a double win. Worth the purchase!
Do you spend a lot of time on your feet & want a foot massage regularly? This foot spa tub helps you feel like you are at the nail salon and has a few more perks; the lighting and the massage roller are my favorites. I’ve tried many different brands over the years, from picking one from Aldi on a whim and getting gifts from my loved ones. So far, this brand has been my absolute favorite!
Last but not least this heating pad I got as a Christmas gift( s/o to my mama), and haven’t stopped using it since I received it. I use it while working from home, after a shower/ bubble bath, and when dealing with monthly cramps. If you have been working with weights or leaning over a tablet or phone, etc this helps to alleviate any pain especially right after a good stretch. I had to ask my mom where she got this from just so I can get the link to share with you guys! Bonus perk: it is washable so you can look forward to using it a long time. Enjoy!
3) Eating food that gives you energy & everything else in moderation
I am no food expert so I will be speaking from my experience and the changes in my body and my energy levels. Take what you want from my experience but I do acknowledge that every person has genetics, preferences, and a lot of other things that factor into what they decide to eat so do you! When I hit my mid-20s my body showed a lot of changes that I wasn’t used to.
My favorite clothing items weren’t fitting the same way and I noticed it took a while for my stomach to digest what I was eating. This caused me to do a ton of research on what was happening and ways to circumvent the changes. While we can’t stop our bodies changing as we get older, we can certainly make life easier by eating healthier, in fewer portions, and not eating heavily after certain times of the day.
Meal prepping throughout the week has made me conscious of what I’m preparing as opposed to grabbing something to eat throughout the week regularly! Then on the weekend, I feel better about eating out because I know I showed up for myself during the week. I have been trying different recipes from Pinterest & Youtube and currently, I’m loving this Keto Shortcut system to monitor the superfoods I am eating. If you are tired of eating the same foods and want new healthy recipes, I recommend researching on these sites!
4) Consistent skincare routine
Taking care of your skin can make you confident in your look with or without makeup! Adding a great exfoliating clay mask to your weekly regimen can help you feel fresh and rejuvenated! I have several of my favorite skincare brands that I love and will share in another post, but I recommend trying out new products slowly and one at a time. Once you find the right products for your skin tone you will look forward to skincare time in the morning and evening! It’s good to see physical proof that you are loving on and taking of yourself!
5) Unclog your social media
This is an essential part of my self-care routine that I have been implementing for most of my young adult life. I consider it a superpower that gets stronger day by day! If you have any form of social media, I HIGHLY recommend you only follow people who inspire you and people who support you. No exceptions. This means that you don’t need to follow anybody that you are no longer friends with, no longer dating, never cared for, etc. Be unapologetic about what you intake on a regular basis. If people are offended …then so be it.
Luckily social media has helped this by having the mute button but why even follow people whose content doesn’t resonate with you? Sounds counterproductive and a waste of time and energy to me! You know they say you are what you eat, listen to, entertain, and who you hang around. So, if you are engaging with anything that doesn’t leave you feeling inspired, motivated, and loved you need to check in with yourself and make some changes! I promise curating your social media experience works wonders for your self-esteem and mental stability! Try it and let me know how it works out for you!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Here is the official list of my favorite at home spa goodies with Amazon Links for easy purchase:
Leave a comment sharing your experience after following the steps in this post and you're welcome to read other posts on my blog! Remember that taking care of yourself is not only a luxury, it is a necessity!
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