How to Practice Self-Care
It’s hard to pick up any self-help publication recently without seeing a headline talking about self-care. But what is it all about and do you need it in your life?
It’s fairly self-explanatory but self-care is exactly that, taking care of oneself. Of course some people in society are naturally skilled at this, but increasingly there are groups of us who are neglecting ourselves without even realizing it. Parents, business owners, people with caring responsibilities can all be guilty of not dedicating enough time to themselves. It can easily happen, time moves fast particularly when you have responsibilities. You may feel under pressure to work every waking hour just to pay the bills at the end of the month, or there may be people who rely on you so you find it difficult to find time for yourself. The problem with this is that without a little time to yourself you will be more prone to stress and anxiety. Stress can manifest itself in physical symptoms and before you know it you are approaching burn-out which is not an optimum situation for anyone.
Signs that you might need to create some self-care rituals:
Irritability
Poor Sleep
Eating poorly
Anxiety
Running from one job to the next
Waking in the morning with panicked feelings
A never ending to-do list
If you are feeling any of these symptoms then you probably need to follow some of our tips. Regular self-care is really good for your mental, emotional and physical health. It’s time to re-prioritise and take a little time for yourself!
Self-Care Ideas:
Have a relaxing bath
You may be a shower person, of course a shower first thing in the morning is quick and gets the job done, but having a bath isn’t really about getting clean. Having a warm bath is about relaxation. Warm water soothes your skin and muscles and the sensation of water lapping around your body has a calming effect. Resist the urge to take any reading material or electronic devices into the bath, dim the lights, get some candles and pour some bath salts into the water. Lie back and relax!
We recommend our Lavender Bath Salts for the ultimate relax and unwind self-care session. Lavender has a number of benefits, not least its ability to soothe your mind and ensure that you get a good night’s rest.
https://www.rueandrose.com/product-page/lavender-bath-salts
Take 30 minutes for yourself
Of course 30 minutes is just a minimum, if you are able to take more time, do so! Schedule this time with yourself, put it in your calendar if you have to. You can do anything you want during this period, but it must be enjoyable. No chores, no catching up on things, this is just 30 minutes for you and you alone. You could read a book or a magazine, meditate, just stare into space or have a little nap. Whatever you chose though, it shouldn’t involve electronic devices or television. We all need at least 30 minutes a day to recharge our batteries and this is the best way to do it. Even if you have had the busiest day, you should still be able to find time. If this becomes a habit, you will feel less stressed in the long-term as you will finish each busy day secure in the knowledge that you managed to find a little quality time for yourself.
Why not use one of our Vibrational Sprays to further enhance your experience? Our Protection Boundary Spray will help you to feel grounded and capable of handling whatever life throws at you!
Eat well
We all know it’s a no-brainer, but we often find it hard to follow through! Eating well is one of the best ways of practising self-care. It’s a very clear way of telling ourselves that we value our bodies and that we will provide them with nutritious food. If we put good fuel in we will feel better and have more energy to cope with a busy life. Poor food choices and lack of hydration make us feel sluggish and lacking in motivation, so it makes sense to try and improve our nutrition. This is quite a straight-forward self-care action to implement and the best way to do it is through baby steps.
Substitute snacks with fruit and vegetables
Eat less meat
Drink more water
Keep high fat, sugary foods to a minimum
Research nutrition and find out what is actually good for your body.
Eating well can have dramatic results on our wellbeing. We feel better, fitter and leaner, we sleep well and our minds feel able to focus.
So when are you going to start your self-care regime? It doesn’t have to be anything dramatic, a few little tweaks here and there and you will soon feel better prepared to deal with a busy life and all that entails!
About Rue and Rose Botanicals:
Rue and Rose Botanicals is a California based health and beauty company. Founded in 2015 as a modern-day herbal practice, our products are medicinally focused and remedy-based. Rue and Rose products are thoughtfully created and fueled by the healing power of flowers and herbs. At Rue and Rose Botanicals we seek balance between functionality and indulgence throughout our entire product line.
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