Treat Yo' Self

On this post’s agenda: self-care. This is something I’ve learned to prioritize more in the last few years. I come from a military background, so it was a lot of go, go, go during the day. And when I was at home, a lot my time was spent taking care of home and child, preparing for the next day, or the next mission. And unfortunately, I carried that over into my civilian life. But I am learning (years later) that self-care is an important part of life.

Disclaimer: I am not what one would call a girly girl. You can ask anybody who knows me, I live in jeans and t-shirts. I'm not big on having my nails done or making sure my makeup is done every day, or having my hair done. Those things don't appeal to me and my co-workers are lucky that I don’t show up at work every day looking like an exhausted, over-caffeinated troll. That being said, I do love a good at-home spa day. And this is, I've realized, is my version of self care.

Here's how I go about this: Sitting in my wing back chair that I have in my bedroom (my cozy spot), I will do a foot soak. And while I'm doing that, I will have a face mask going, or, if I'm really carrying some serious eye baggage, the gold patches that go underneath your eyes. They work really well and were a gift for my girls. I use them pretty much every time I do an at-home spa day. Anyway, I get really relaxed with a good foot soak before I scrub my feet (I also have a foot massager that I will use for a good 20 minutes after the whole foot soak scrub thing). During the soak, I pamper my face with, as I said, masks of different types. There's the hydrating masks or the clay masks that you have to wash off. I tend to rotate through those so as not to irritate my skin. Follow everything up with a good hydrating lotion!

I will take an hour about once a month and go through this routine. Oftentimes, I’ll turn on a soothing soundtrack or ASMR on YouTube. Sometimes it's sitting lakeside, sometimes it's a fish aquarium, other times it's a fireplace. It just depends on the time of year and my mood. And while that's playing, I go through my routine and I relax. I'll sit back and close my eyes. After I go through this routine, even though it's doesn't seem like a lot, it does a lot to help destress. I can feel the difference.

Now that being said, I would kill for an actual spa day.

One where I could go and get scrubbed and massaged and get a facial. That's probably the most girly thing that I would wish for: a spa day at an actual spa boutique. I'm sure that those that know me in real life are probably pretty shocked right now. Maybe I should ask for one for my birthday or Christmas…

Anyway, tell me in the comments below: How do you do self care? What are your routines for making you feel more relaxed and less stressed? Because I am always on the lookout for new things to add to my routine, and I would love to hear what works for you. :)

Until next time,

~HCB