Having disabilities I know how important dealing with my medical health is. Our mental health which is less talked about is just as important. Self-care which is doing things to care for you is a very important part of taking care of your mental health. This post is tips, tricks and a how-to guide to self-care!
With Valentine’s Day coming up, people tend to get sad if they are not in a romantic relationship. I am happily married for 19 years and I still get sad at Valentine’s Day because my husband is not very good at holidays or expressing his feelings. So instead of getting sad and depressed…I take myself out for Valentine’s Day date!
I personally love to take myself to a restaurant that I like that my husband doesn’t and just have a meal to myself. I will normally take a book or my IPAD with my Kindle App and sit and just have a great lunch with me! I also like to take myself out to a movie that my husband probably wouldn’t like to go to. I’ll buy myself some popcorn and just enjoy being able to see a funny romance movie by myself!
Something else I like to do for myself, “spa” treatments at home. I will use a towel over a bowl of steaming hot water to do a steam for my face. I make a sugar scrub out of sugar, a little squeeze of citruses like lemon or orange, oil like olive oil or coconut oil and put it on my face to get rid of dead skin cells. It makes your skin soft! Paint your finger and toenails! It’s maybe an hour of pampering myself but I feel really good afterward!
I also have hobbies. Hobbies are a great way to take time for yourself! I write, paint things I buy at Michael’s, and read! I also will just grab a cheap coloring book and a pack of crayons and color… Hobbies don’t have to cost a lot it just needs to be something you have fun doing.
Self-care can be done at any time of day, any day of the week. One thing I do is if I’m feeling stressed is to sit in my car and listen to music that uplifts me and makes me feel good. Just 15 minutes of this can completely change my mood and make me feel happier and release stress! I like upbeat pop songs for this. If I am trying to relax I like classical or relaxation sounds like rain or beach sounds. You can download music apps like Pandora or relaxation sound apps for free.
Self-care doesn’t have to be expensive or very involved. It could be taking the time to pop some microwave popcorn and renting a movie on Amazon or Vudu! What matters is you take some time to do something just for yourself. Not for your significant other. Not for your boss. Not for your kids. Just FOR YOU!!!