Self care 101- Candles Optional.

The term self care has been really trending the last couple of years. Feeling stressed? Self-care. Feeling tired? Self care. Feeling drunk? Self care. You get the picture. Everybody and everyone has their own opinions and suggestions as to how and when you should practice self-care. Get on Pinterest and you will find thousands of self care routines you can follow. I just want to let everyone know that reads this is that self care does not look the same for everyone. You don’t have to take a bubble bath with candles to practice self care. You dont have to journal, meditate, or color. You don’t have to get up at 5 a.m. to have a magical morning if thats not your thing. DO YOU GIRL!

Here are some of things that I gravitate towards when I am feeling less than 100%

Harry Potter- There is really something about getting away to a fictional world that appeals to my anxiety. Side note: the first movie is my favorite!
Taking a long, very hot shower- a shower is not just a shower for me. Taking a shower is a little bit of peace and relaxation carved out of everyday. It also relaxes my muscles and just generally makes me feel better no matter what kind of day I have had.
Listening to podcasts- This is quite a new hobby of mine and I really enjoy listening to mental health and true crime podcasts (my favorites are Crime Junkie, Radical Transformation Project, and Love your anxiety). I usually listen when I need some major distraction and TV is just not cutting it.
Laying under my weighted blanket. I cannot express how much I love my weighted blanket! It is 15 pounds of pure delight and I don’t know how I slept without it. Weighted blankets are popping up all over the place and you can find one at a reasonable price. I don’t even want to tell ya’ll how much I paid for mine 3 years ago.
Planning out your week- Having anxiety has made me a planner and one thing I find calming and relaxing is planning on my week on a Sunday. I plan out my dinners, things to do, chorus to do, and whatever else I have going on. I use to do this in a paper planner but just moved to google calendar and I am really liking doing the digital calendar so far.

These are just a few of the things that I like to do to practice self-care. Find your routine and stick with it!

Thanks for reading!

Heather