Sometimes the hustle and bustle of everyday life wear us down. Between school, work, and everyday stressors we sometimes forget to treat ourselves to some much-deserved TLC. Here are some simple ways to treat yourself both mentally and physically, and help take the edge off after a rough day.
1. Drink more water
Self-care starts from within, literally. We all can agree that we could be drinking more water than we usually do. When we fuel our bodies with the amount of water it needs, magical things happen. The benefits of drinking water are virtually endless. Drinking water first thing in the morning can help increase alertness and provide you with an extra “oomph” of energy. Not to mention flushing out toxins, clearing up your complexion, regulating digestion, and preventing headaches. Adding more water intake to your daily routine is a simple way to improve your day, and your life, without even thinking twice about it.
2. Face masks
Face masks are the epitome of treatin’ yourself. After wearing makeup all day every day, sometimes washing your face isn’t enough to clear out your pores. Even if your skin isn’t acne-prone, there is something extremely soothing about sitting in your bed for 20 minutes with a bunch of goop smeared all over your face. Plus, there’s a face mask for every skin type. Whether you want a charcoal peel-off mask to rip every blackhead out of your face, or a soothing and hydrating oatmeal mask, you’re bound to find something that suits your fancy.
3. Set aside time each day away from social media
An often-overlooked aspect of self-care is the mental side of things. Though it sure does feel good to take a bath, paint your nails, and light a few candles, those things won’t really be helping you decompress from the day if your eyes are glued to Instagram and Snapchat the entire time. It is imperative to take some time out of each day away from social media. Pick up a new hobby, like water-color painting, or read that book you’ve been “meaning” to start for the past five months. I guarantee that your brain will benefit much more from taking up a new hobby than it will from aimlessly scrolling through overly-edited pictures of your friends’ selfies.
4. Stretch
After sitting in class or work all day, walking around campus, and just merely existing, your body needs some extra love and attention. Stretching does wonders for the body; such as decreasing stress and improving blood flow and circulation. If you’re under a great deal of stress, your muscles may be tensed up as a result of this. Setting some time aside every day to stretch out your muscles can help ease both the body and the mind. You can even meditate while you do it, and use this time as a mental break for the day.