self-care sunday: ten ways to improve your day.

I’m crazy busy, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t take time for self-care. Self-care is important for balance, without it I feel off. It has a lot of different meanings for people. For some, self-care is enjoying a glass of wine and binging on The Bachelor (is anyone else glad that Bekah M.’s gone?), for others it’s working out. When I truly don’t have time for anything, I’ll multitask AKA facemask while I do something productive. Whatever self-care means to you the true meaning isn’t just treating yourself, we only do that on Tuesdays. Self-care means truly taking care of yourself, physically, emotionally, etc. Here are ten ways to improve your day this Sunday:

1. Hydrate - Ok, so my mom told me “go drink water” all the time but I’ve found that being fully hydrated is a talent. It’s not as hard as you think, I promise! My tip: drink eight ounces of water right when you wake up to get a head start on the day. Without proper hydration, my day is shot.

2. Don’t snooze your alarm - This is a hard one for me. I love my bed and I love sleep, but recently I’ve been trying not to snooze my dreaded alarm when it goes off. Honestly, I could sleep for hours for it throws me off. It means I have to rush in the morning and I’ll have to skip breakfast, playtime with my pup, or just saying a few words to my husband before I go to work. Time is valuable.

3. Eat what you love - Within reason. I’m miserable if I don’t eat anything I like. So put good things into your body most of the time, but don’t stress about the occasional brownie. Again, balance.

4. Moisturize - This is weird, but I feel better when I know I’ve moisturized. Maybe that means I’m wearing just moisturizer instead of makeup, maybe it means I just took a bath and used a Butterball bath bomb (it’s my favorite and you feel as soft as a baby’s butt). I just feel better and well-rounded when I’m smooth.

5. Put your phone in another room - Take a break from your phone. Read a book, embroider something, play an instrument, have a conversation. Do something without technology. Detox your brain.

6. Change your location - Sometimes self-care means getting out of the house. Go somewhere that makes you happy. Personally, I have a couple of coffee shops that have recently become my home away from home. I do my best work and thinking there. Sometimes even a quick trip to Target can pull me out of a funk.

7. Face-mask - Hey, it works ok? I feel like I’m making my skin looks better and I can do something else while I’m doing it. I love the 10.0.6 masks and I’ve collected a few over the years! It only takes fifteen minutes and it’s the easiest way for me to do something for myself while I’m getting stuff done.

8. Make a to-do list - Part of caring for yourself is making sure you’re happy, healthy, and organized. Prioritize what needs to be done. Do it, check things off your list and reward yourself! I will work to get things checked off of a checklist. It’s completely mental, but it works for me!

9. Stretch - Maybe it’s yoga, maybe it’s a few minutes of stretching alone on your floor. Stretching relieves tension and helps your body feel better. Here’s my favorite video to help you feel bendy and relaxed.

10. Take a nap - I know, I said no oversleeping. I don’t mean one of those accidentally three hour naps, I mean a 15 minute power nap! No more, no less. Those perk me right up and they help me feel better about my day.

How are you practicing self-care this week?

xoxojessica