I consider myself a happy, self-assured woman with a very clear idea of where I want to go. But when I think of the path I have traveled regarding self-care and self-love, Oh my!
Something that sometimes gets distorted regarding the love yourself trend is that loving you and accepting yourself doesn’t mean neglecting yourself. Pampering yourself is not going out and buying yourself a gigantic pizza or that tub of ice scream you are dying for. Pampering yourself is eating healthy, being conscious, and balancing your life so your body can be healthy and function well. Exercising is not just a physical and vain concern, it can also make the difference in having a high risk of suffering a sickness or not. But, above all, loving yourself means working on yourself to evolve and become the person you have dreamt of becoming.
2020 left us big lessons in different aspects. We faced a pandemic that locked us in our houses and made us change our priorities. So much so that 2020 was called the “Year of Self Care”. Wow! Many people will say this sounds like a marketing tool, but not really.
Self-care is the practice of doing things that are good for you in a conscious way. And even though this can represent different things for different people, it centers on doing things that make you feel better.
What are the benefits of self-care? To improve your physical and emotional health, reduce your stress levels, be more productive and improve your sleep cycle.
Here are a few ideas I wanted to share with you of activities you can do at home to pamper yourself:
• Read a new book or reread one of your favorites. I have a goal of reading a book per month and I have returned to reading my favorite books.
• Take a warm bath and indulge in some Rituals Cosmetics. Their products are inspired in rituals from the Orient that provoke happiness, relaxation and inspiration. My favorite to begin the day filled with energy is The Ritual of Karma!
• Affirmations have a positive emotional and psychological impact. So, every morning you should repeat several times:
* I am thankful for living another day.
* I am strong, intelligent, optimistic, happy, beautiful, and unique.
* Today is a new day and there is a world filled with possibilities for me.
• Do a guided meditation. You can look for one on YouTube and try out different ones until you find your favorite.
• Apply a face mask! You don’t know which one to choose? Go to your favorite Ultrafemme and let a beauty expert help you discover the perfect one for you.
• Even if you are staying home, put on your favorite perfume and dress up. Olfactory memory is one of the strongest and that is why perfumes are so important in our lives. Do you want a different perfume? Try Love Me by Tous!
• Do 45 minutes of exercise daily. Zumba, CrossFit or jogging, whatever you like best! Exercising helps your body to produce endorphins, the happiness hormone.
• Drink at least 2 liters of water per day. Keeping yourself hydrated has a direct impact on how your hair, skin and nails look. Also, it will keep you feeling refreshed all day.
• Go for a walk. It is proven that doing so helps you clear your mind, organize your ideas and improve your joints. And as a bonus, you will burn off calories!
• Light scented candles at home. Jo Malone London makes the best ones as they have the most intense scent. My favorite ones are English Pear & Freesia and Pomegranate Noir.
• Do a mental list each night of all the good things that happened throughout the day and be thankful for each of them. You will see how your perspective changes and you will go to sleep with only positive thoughts.
• And last but not least, my favorite: make your nightly skincare routine a ritual! Most skincare products are designed with aromatherapy to relax you and make you feel good. So, enjoy each step, apply with a soft massage on the face and take at least ten minutes to do it. Do a breathing exercise throughout the routine.
I hope these tips inspire you to pamper yourself and to make those five to ten minutes of self-care a part of your daily routine. You will see how your day changes completely and how the moment you are gifting yourself will become your favorite!
Thanks for reading.
Lore Machaen
