There’s never been a better time to turn to natural self-care. The year is 2021 and we are still going through an unusual period, high in stress and no end in sight just yet. Turning up our self-care can be a great source of relaxation and wellbeing.
What is Self-care?
Self-care, wellbeing, mindfulness, these trendy words keep popping up on our social media feed but what do they actually represent? Self-care can take many forms and mean different things for each person. Ultimately, self-care is the practice of actively taking action to benefit our health, wellbeing and feeling of contentment or happiness.
There’s no rules to what to do for self-care. It can be anything that brings us a sense of ease, grounding and unwinding. It’s nice to experience different things and try techniques, while finding elements that are easy to do regularly at home.
Benefits of natural self-care
One of the most beautiful aspects of self-care is that it brings us closer to ourselves. By replenishing our energy and taking time for ourselves, we become more present and deepen our own self-love.
We are constantly solicited for our attention, by people, by technology, by responsibilities. By tuning-in with our own needs, we can calm down the outside noise and turn down the stress and mental angst we might be feeling.
You don’t need any justification to take care of yourself, but some of us might feel a little bit guilty for taking some alone time. Remember that self-care isn’t selfish. You can’t take care of others if your own energy levels are depleted.
Related: Teaching self-care to our kids
Types of natural self-care
There’s our little daily pleasures that can change all the time, like a slice of chocolate cake or skipping chores for our favorite show, and consistent habits with long term benefits like sleep hygiene or meditation. We need some of both in our life.
Overall we can think of self-care as either physical or emotional, however quite naturally they affect each other too.
Physical self-care
Self-care for our body and our physical health includes activities that stimulate, nourish or relax our body. It helps us release stress and recharge.
It can include things such as:
- Keeping a consistent fitness routine
- Maintaining a good sleep routine
- Eating a healthy diet high in antioxidants
- Caring for our skin with natural products free of nasties
- Drinking plenty of water
- Taking supplements such as vitamins D, K, B12 and zinc
- Using essential oils like lavender, oregano and tea tree
Emotional self-care
Our emotional self-care is especially important as how we feel has a strong effect on our physical health. With emotional self-care we become more attuned to ourselves and more self-aware.
Fulfilling our emotional needs and prioritizing our peace of mind can take many forms, such as:
- Practicing daily gratitude
- Journaling regularly
- Making a conscious effort to be present and mindful
- Going through therapy or counseling
- Having a spiritual life
- Setting boundaries and ridding ourselves of people or things that suck our energy
- Allowing ourselves to rest and have some downtime
Turning your daily shower routine into a natural self-care ritual
Most of us don’t consider a daily shower and application of skincare and makeup an indulgence. With just a few things, we can leverage that time for a little pampering and self-care without taking much more time.
What makes it a ritual is that we do it frequently because we enjoy how it makes us feel and it’s easy to do.
Massage
Applying your skincare or even lathering soap under the shower can turn into a mini massage. On your face, apply your lotion in uplifting strokes around your jaw, and neck. Circle around your eyes with the tip of your fingers from the inner to the outer corner. On your body, apply big strokes from your arms and legs towards your heart. Using a loofah with the soap will add the benefit of removing dead skin cells.
A great oil to use right after your shower and to apply all over your body is the Petit Jovial Nourishing Bath Oil. Use your fingers to apply pressure as you apply the oil over your calves, thighs and arms. Circle clockwise on your stomach. It will literally take you 3 minutes, but deliberately applying a little pressure will add that relaxing massage touch.
Face mask
The beauty of a mask is that you can multitask while you wait for it to work its properties into your skin. You could shower, brush your teeth and floss. If you have the extra 20 minutes, it’s even nicer to use that time for a breathing exercise or meditation.
The best natural masks are provided by nature and already in your kitchen. Try honey to hydrate and calm, or avocado to plump and nourish your skin.
Music for your senses
If you don’t already, turn up the volume! Select a soundtrack that energises or relaxes you depending on what you need that day. Music can uplift and help restore our mood. So even if it’s metal music that you crave, use that shower time to listen to the tracks that work for you.
Until next time, Tania xx