I speak from my own personal experience but it may be true for you also, that when I am taking care of myself I can take better care of those around me. My to-do-list is easier to finish and my relationship with my family is... well... easier for a lack of better words.
So a few months ago I figured out how to care for myself in a realistic way and here are my ideas:
YOUR HEALTH CONDITION SHOWS IN YOUR FACE
So I have stopped covering up my face with loads of makeup and learnt to address things from the root for e.g covering up pimples or dark eyes I will rather drink more water, get outside more, exercise , steam my face often, drink detoxifying drinks, find trigger foods and get my iron and hormones tested.. basically Getting to the ROOT of my imperfections or blemishes..
Before getting married I went onto hormonal contraceptives and realized it was ruining my metabolism and it showed in my face sadly.. I had horrible acne on my wedding day something I had never had before going onto the contraceptive .. the old me would cover it up with makeup fortunately I went off it within a few months and my skin cleared up.. bottom line covering it up with makeup was not going to solve it
Now I can go without makeup IN PUBLIC and feel confident and free!
TAKE TIME TO DO THINGS YOU LOVE & INVEST IN YOUR GROWTH
Invest in things that spark your joy, be it crafts, books, art, music, learning a new program, a long bath, serving others, quiet time whatever it is make it a priority in your life so you can recharge. Schedule these into your daily/weekly schedule it will help you grow and bring you loads of fulfillment more than any exterior improvement can. You may be rolling your eyes thinking "I don't have time for that", but if you have taken time to mindlessly scroll through social media or the internet you do HAVE time.
So what should you do everyday if you want to live your best self? just take out the low value habits and replace them with self care rituals. EASY PEASY :) you will thank me later.
ROUTINE ROUTINE ROUTINE! (still working on this one)
I use to be the type of person who worked with a mindless routine. I have recently realized the importance of a implementing a routine/schedule to my life.. morning routine, night routine..
I will start with the night routine because the morning doesn't make sense without it. Every night I try to prepare for the next day, being a mama of two robust boys my mornings can DRAG if I don't prepare the night before. So I will prepare all our clothes for the next day, cleanup, and make small mental or physical notes of what I would like to eat or get done the next day, it honestly saves me a TON of headache and mindless eating if I have already planned plus I am not as stressed out with time running out, I smash my to-do-list and my boys have a happier mama who has extra time to play and have fun!
My morning self care routine starts before my eyes open, I think about how I want my day to go, if I want a productive day or a restful day I name my day just that.. I find that when I do this I am already mentally prepared for tasks at hand. having said that sometimes our days don't always go as planned and that's okay I just remind myself that tomorrow is another day to try again.
This might not look like the usual self care list and it doesn't end here for me but without these three main things I would pretty much deteriorate!
What does your self care look like? Do you practice any of these? What would you recommend I add to the list?