2020 has afforded us the time to reflect and we’ve come to understand how self-care is not only important in feeling good in our own skin – it’s essential. One of our favourite things we’ve taken from this year has been the time spent on ourselves. As the year comes to a close and as we enter a (hopefully) busier social calendar in 2021, it’s important to still take the time to devote to ourselves. ‘Tis the season for self-care, more than ever before.
With time being a limiting factor for many of us, it can be hard to know where to start with our self-care. That’s why we’ve put together our top tips to follow whether you have a little or a lot of time on your hands.
If You Have Fifteen Minutes
Stuck for time? We have some quick fixes to make every minute matter. Aim to get out of bed, or start preparing for an evening out slightly earlier, and add a face mask to your routine. Not only will your skin feel ultra-soft, but that time taken for yourself will really impact your mood.
If, like many, you’ve considered meditating but have struggled to find your inner zen, download an app like Headspace. With short, focused and guided meditations, it’s a great place to start for beginners, and eventually will have you able to get in the zone in little time.
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If You Have an Hour
Your days may seem to fly by at lightning speed, but an hour spent properly can be worth its weight in gold. Rather than rushing your meals, indulge in something that will feed you internally, not just make you feel full.
Create a balanced plate that will keep you nourished, satisfied, and energised. Start your day with avocados, eggs and tuna. These are all ‘brain foods’, which help our short and long term brain function and keep us extra sharp. Complete with a chunky slice of sourdough – after all, we all need a little bit of satisfaction, right?
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If You Have an Evening
Whilst self-care is often about doing good, healthy things for yourself, sometimes the best dose is a good old evening filled with guilty pleasures. With almost one in four of us now working from home, it can feel harder than ever to turn on the ‘off switch’ after a day’s work. However, it’s more important than ever to perfect your work/life balance, especially when your home and office has fused into one.
Be sure to spend at least one evening a week on yourself. Try your best to finish at end of play, and then switch off your laptop and turn off all notifications. Run yourself a bath, with bubbles and epsom salts – nothing is too understated, then, if you are fortunate enough to possess a bath shelf, you can even watch your favourite movie or listen to some music.
If baths aren’t for you, there’s still plenty of fun to be had. Save the cooking (and the washing up) and order a takeaway (treat yo’ self), and accompany with a film or TV series of your choosing. Beat the winter chill and indulge in a cashmere hot water bottle cover, and for extra cosy points, a pair of cashmere socks hit the mark.
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If You Have a Full Day
If you’re lucky enough to have a full day on your hands, first of all – congratulations. Not you? It’s about time you freed up some space in your calendar. Whether you’re booking some annual leave, or making use of your weekend days, (many of us are in Tier 4, after all), we all need a day off sometimes.
Consider what self-care means to you. Is it a day luxuriating at home, or exerting some energy working out outdoors? As exercise is fundamental to supporting our mental health, any exercise, be it high intensity or a softer-on-the-body yoga session, will pay dividends in it’s contribution to making you feel good.
A day spent in can also be the ultimate home luxury. Leave the chores behind – just for one day, and recreate the home spa experience. Light a scented candle to set the ambience, then settle your mind, perhaps by using your newfound meditation techniques. Take your facial cleansing to the next level with a multi-step program. You can even give yourself an at-home facial massage with a jade roller.
Complete the experience with an at-home hair treatment. Our locks have been pretty neglected this year, so it’s time to treat them to some TLC. Try a hair mask or elasticizer, it’ll bestow you with that much-coveted salon feeling we all desire.
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Words: Maria Loizou
