How long has it been since you last spent time looking after yourself as much as you look after others? If you have to stop and think about it, it’s been too long. Let’s not sugar coat it - life can be exhausting. It can drain you, it can feel repetitive and it can throw many curve balls your way. We may not be able to control every aspect of our life, but we can control the time we spend on ourselves. Self-care is not selfish, but essential. It resets, rejuvenates and refreshes us. Self-care makes us happy. You deserve self-care and you deserve to feel amazing. So, here are 10 simple self-care ideas you can do in the comfort of your own home that will provide you that boost of joy you at times crave.
1) Have a bath and scrub, shave and moisturise your whole body.
Light a candle, add some bubbles (to the bath and your glass) and cue your favourite Spotify playlist. Dim the lights, strip and step in to pure, almost instant, bliss. Not only are baths good for relaxing your muscles, they’re great for your soul. They’re also an easy place to exfoliate your whole body without the fear of slipping over or wasting all your product and dropping it on the shower floor (hint: our Less Mess Body Scrubs come in a buttery formula so rarely will you waste any of this). Once you’re relaxed, and as wrinkly as your grandma, it’s time to get out and treat your skin to intense hydration. We highly recommend our intensely nourishing Body Custards that sink right into your skin. It’s best to apply moisturiser to damp skin, as damp skin is easier to penetrate than dry skin. Damp skin is very similar to that of a sponge and will help your skin quickly absorb the products you apply to it.
2) Do a face mask.
Not only are face masks great at decongesting your skin and clearing out your pores, there are some (like our Gentle Detoxifying Pink Clay Mask) that will also hydrate and leave your skin soft, glowing and not ‘squeaky clean’ like other masks do. When a mask, or skincare product at all, leaves your skin feeling tight and 100% oil-free, it’s not actually good. What this means is the product has stripped your skin of all it’s natural oils and has actually dehydrated it (not good). Tight skin is never in. Soft, bouncy and glowing skin is.
3) Paint your nails.
Do a mani pedi and clean up those claws! A fresh coat of colour can instantly improve your mood and make you smile every time you look down at them. You don’t even have to go to a salon for this.
4) Go for a walk.
If you work at a 9-5 office job, you’ll most likely at times forget what fresh air, or even the sun feels like. Even a 10minute walk on your lunch break can do wonders. If it’s your weekend, go for a walk to the park, pack a picnic and take your shoes off to feel the grass beneath your feet. It’s amazing the feeling of the ground between your toes can give.
5) Do some crafts.
Remember watching your grandma knitting and humming whilst growing up? Or your grandpa smiling proudly to himself as he’s correctly guessed the word to his crossword puzzle? Sometimes it’s the simple things like this that instantly perk up our moods. I’m not saying you should take up knitting, but I’m sure there’s a craft (or 2) you’ve always wanted to try but never got around to.
6) Break a sweat.
To quote Elle Woods: “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.” This isn’t just a quote from a movie, it’s science.Trust science.
7) Read a book.
I used to love reading as a child. I could start and finish a whole series in just one weekend. And damn I felt good. When did we stop reading? I’m not saying to pick up and read a whole series, or even a fiction novel. Get lost in blogs. Get lost in the things that interest you.
8) Sing & dance.
This is similar to ‘breaking a sweat’, but for those that aren’t best mates with the gym (me). Dance like no one can see you. Dance how you want. That is the best kind of dancing if you ask me.
9) Turn off your phone.
Too often we get distracted by social media and mindlessly scroll our feeds only to see images that just make us feel down about ourselves. If you have your phone on, it’s likely you’ll be distracted by the notifications and not spend time on you. Turn it off, even for an hour. You’ll be amazed at how ‘free’ this will make you feel.
10) Binge your fave series.
Just do it. You know you want to.
Here’s a sneaky extra: eat that chocolate! Treats aren’t always bad. You can afford to occasionally spoil yourself.
Treat yourself to some self-care today and your future self will immediately be thankful for it!