Can we all have a moment for how unhelpful most self-care advice is? Like when someone tells you to just “take a bubble bath” when you’re stressed outta your mind. And then you feel guilty for NOT EVEN TAKING A BATH. Can’t you just do a face mask? Jeez.
And that makes everything worse and it’s a vicious cycle.
It’s time for some self-care ideas that don’t suck.
So, you may or may not know this about me but I come from a background of chronic illness. I was sick for 5 years, mostly bedridden, and underwent a lot of treatments to get better. That time taught me the value of practical self-care practices and how vital they are to overall healthy living. Sometimes we do need a spa day. But on a day-to-day basis, that really isn’t helpful for most people.
So here are three self-care ideas that don’t suck to get you brainstorming:
Workout. Lol, I know that’s not what you wanted to hear. But listen, if you are overwhelmed and stressed, working out can be the most effective way to calm your nervous system and remind your body it’s okay to rest. Our bodies operate on fight/flight when we are stressed, and there is data showing that if we MOVE OUR BODIES, it triggers our primal brain to think we’ve run from the tiger and we are safe. You can read all about this in the book “Burnout” by Emily and Amelia Nagoski.
Turn your phone on airplane mode for an evening. I have never suffered so much from input overload as I have as a new mother during the pandemic. Sometimes I go to bed and my brain is absolutely spinning from taking in SO MUCH INFORMATION. And I think it’s only gotten worse since so much of our lives have to be online these days. Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is turn on airplane mode and just BE. You don’t have to do any extra special things for the evening. Just be. Without input.
Take pretty pictures on your phone. Okay, I know I’m a photographer but hear me out on this one. Go outside, or find something indoors that you like and take photos. Practice angles, play with lighting..and then edit it in an app like VSCO or Papaya. There is something so soothing about zoning out to one particular activity. You could also paint, embroider, do yard work, do a puzzle. Anything that allows you to tunnel focus on ONE THING, that is not on your to-do list.
Hope this is helpful! I am passionate about practical self-care because otherwise I would be stressed out all the time as a business owner and mom to a toddler. But in the meantime: move your body or turn off your phone or get lost in a non-essential task.
-Jessie