It is often the case that weeks can be too busy to fit in real self-care. Sure, you can get a five-minute face mask, or a hot bath wedged in the week. But what about other health and relaxation things?
Weekends are often spent running errands and trying to fit in everything that we want to do. So once a month, or more, if you can book a day to take care of yourself.
The benefits of self-care are plentiful too. From feeling more confident, creative, and happy – to feeling nourished and productive. So it’s not only good for you, but it is good for your work, your home management and happy people make other people happy too.
So here are some great self-care tips to start building into your weekends.
Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash
Face Mask
Sure, face masks are great for your skin in general. But actually, when you put one on, you are forcing yourself to slow down for the ten minutes that it is on. Try to make a face mask a weekly non-negotiable, and your skin and mind will thank you deeply.
Phone Free
You already know that the bedroom should be a scroll-free zone as much as possible. But, you can extend that and leave your phone in a drawer for a few hours at the weekend. Phone addiction, even in the mildest form, can be really hard to tackle. So do it a small amount of time, and build it up in increments. If you can’t be away from your phone, then rather than put the phone out of sight, try an app to help you.
Forest: Stay Focused is a great app that will help you break your habit of picking up your phone. By planting a seed in Forest, you can watch it slowly grows into a tree. The more you leave your phone alone, the bigger the tree gets. If you exit for a few seconds but switchback, then your tree won’t die. But if you take too long, you’ll have to start over.
Health
If your weekdays are jam-packed, then your health care needs to be handled at the weekend. Things like an award-winning weekend dentist and a general practitioner with weekend slots available can make the fight for an hour during the week a non-issue.
Brew
If you are used to hitting a button and having a pod of coffee done in minutes, or using a teabag in the week. Slow it down for your weekends. Buy some loose tea leaves, or ground coffee and a french press and let it brew slowly. While it is brewing, instead of scrolling on your phone, read a few pages of a magazine or a book. Take the time to be slow and still productive.
Walk
If you already jog or cycle every day, then you are probably getting plenty of fresh air. If you are a bit of a home bird or just can get the motivation, then this is one thing you should try. Without any pressure, so that it doesn’t become a chore, but it is fun instead. There are many benefits to taking a walk, even a short one.
It is more beneficial if you go somewhere that is leafy and green too. People who spend time outside are more likely to have lower stress levels, better mental health, lower heart rate, and sleep better at night too. Not to mention it stimulates the immune system.
Be thankful
Many people have a habit of focusing on the negative things that happen or the ‘worst’ parts of their day. And what this does is make us feel negative too. So if you spend time working on changing the mindset to being thankful and positive, you’ll see a huge benefit over time. Many people decide to keep a journal to make notes every day about what they are grateful for. Others prefer to just mentally repeat 5 things each morning. You’ll need to find what works for you.
If all that sounds like a lot, then you can also spend time thinking about something that makes you grateful and happy. Then building on it.
Declutter
Unsurprisingly clutter can raise our stress levels. Even when it isn’t in our immediate vicinity. It plays on your mind and eats away at your concentration – which means other work and errands will be done at a slower pace. A super simple thing to build into your weekends is a ten minute (at a time) declutter. It might just be one drawer or your wardrobe. Whatever it is, spend a solid ten minutes doing it.
Scent
Our sense of smell is something that has a huge impact. Smells from our childhoods stay with us for a lifetime. And, there are so many other scents that can have an effect too. Here are some suggestions for scents to fill your home with:
- Lavender – the tried and tested calming oil. Used in massage oils, candles, oil burners, and more. Lavender has a calming impact on nerves and can help with migraines and headaches too.
- Jasmin – is excellent for producing feelings of confidence, optimism, and revitalized energy. Perfect for when you have to get a bit of work done and need a boost.
- Lemon – Calm and clarifying helps when you are feeling angry, upset, or exhausted. The smell is fresh and uplifting.
Create
Even if you don’t think you can draw, paint or write. Find a way to get creative in your spare time. Also, coloring has been linked to helping your body and mind relax. Creative pursuits are a great way to let your brain unwind and focus on letting loose the ideas that you have stashed up over time. Letting your creative mind out to play for a while activates the hormones that improve happiness and wellness.
“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.”– Jean Shinoda Bolen
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