I Wish You Would

Greetings friends!

Today's post is all about SELF CARE! Since we've been in quarantine I've had a lot of time (to say the least) to rest and recuperate. Having that time has made me realise that I don't always prioritise self care, and I know I'm not the only one out there who is like this! So I've put together a list of my (pretty basic) self care tips that even the busiest of us can take a moment to do!

Tip Number One: Skincare!

I'll be honest, until about a year ago I wasn't that up on skincare. I would use a face wipe before bed and maybe put on a light moisturiser and whilst that is absolutely okay to do on a day where you really don't have the energy for anything else, some days your skin could do with that little bit extra TLC. My recommendations here are to use a face wash. I particularly like foaming cleansers and highly recommend the Soap & Glory The Fab Pore Foam Cleanser, and often use the Soap & Glory Peaches & Clean Deep Cleansing Milk. Both of these cleansers remove makeup so you can kiss goodbye to those makeup wipes. I'd also highly recommend investing in a Face Silk; these babies have absolutely saved me so much time and money! I saw the advertisements and thought it couldn't be true that just warm water would remove a full face of makeup, but after having tried them for the first time a few months ago I can confirm that they are makeup remover miracle workers! I will never go back to face wipes. Finally, it's always important to have a good moisturiser! My all-time favourite is the Nutragena Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturiser. I have had dry skin since I was around 12 and have always struggled to find a moisturiser that effectively combats the problem, until I discovered Nutragena! Of course, this isn't an exhaustive list and I often use face masks too but for a quick spot of self care, these are my top recommendations.

Tip Number Two: Take a shower and get dressed!

You might be thinking "I already do this every day", but my tip for you is not to jump in the shower for a quick wash and throw on some clothes. My tip for self care is to have a long, hot shower and really enjoy the experience of getting ready for the day! Pick out a cute outfit, give yourself the time to do your hair. Take pleasure in taking your time getting ready for the day ahead. If you have the energy to do it, I promise it'll make you feel so much better!

Tip Number Three: Watch your favourite movie!

This one might be obvious but if you're having a bad day and you just want some light relief, putting on your favourite movie is an instant mood healer. It is for me, at least. I have a lot of "favourite" movies, so there's quite a few I could choose from. However, my self care movie go-to is Disney's Tangled. It's a light-hearted movie with original soundtrack singing, a good love interest, an amazing animal side-kick and a brilliant, but evil, villain. It's everything I need to cheer me up!

Tip Number Four: Listen to your favourite music!

On the theme of your favourite things, playing your favourite music is a great way to practice self care. Music is a very personal experience, so allowing yourself time to sit and focus on your favourite artist, album or playlist can be a great way to touch base with yourself and think about how you've been feeling lately. It goes without saying that my go-to is Taylor Swift, but if that's not your cup of tea, get off my website. Kidding!! If Taylor isn't your cup of tea create a playlist of your favourite song and take some time out to just listen.

Tip Number Five: Turn off your phone!

You will definitely have heard this one before, but it holds a firm place on this list. In an age where virtually every piece of information, every contact, every picture can be accessed from your phone, it is more important than ever to be able to put it down. If you are anything like me, you'll need to physically turn it off to take a break because you'll continuously glance at it every time the screen lights up, even if you are trying to take a break from it. This is the self care tip that I need to work on most, particularly at the moment when there isn't a lot else to do besides scroll through social media. It might seem strange at first to not be so attached to your phone (after all, it has your whole life on it?!) but I always feel better after a screen break!

Tip Number Six: Spend time with your family!

There is so much evidence that spending time with loved ones is incredibly beneficial to a person's mental health. Even though families can drive us crazy from time to time, making the effort to spend time with them can leave you feeling loved and grateful for what you have. I have always found that when I am going through a particularly stressful time, just the simple act of being present in a room with my family (as opposed to in my bedroom alone) is enough to make me feel more relaxed and able to handle the stressful situations that arise.

Tip Number Seven: Phone a friend!

This one I have found more important in recent months than I ever have before. Since COVID-19, everyone has had to learn to live without seeing their friends in the flesh for months - and it has not been easy! Even though I couldn't see their beautiful faces IRL, Facetime, Zoom and a good old fashioned phone call have been my saviours. Whilst at first I found it more difficult (because it reminded me what I'd been missing), in the end I finished every call with a smile on my face and feeling less isolated. This doesn't only apply during pandemics though! If you are going through a hard time, call up a friend! Even if you don't want to talk about what is troubling you, the simple distraction that talking to a friend provides might be enough to relieve some of the struggle.

Tip Number Eight: Treat yourself to something nice!

I'm not suggesting you should shop away your problems, however I do believe in the power of retail therapy on some occasions! It doesn't have to be anything super fancy or expensive, it can be something as simple as a chocolate bar or some petrol station flowers! Just something to brighten up your day a little and give you a sense of encouragement. Being kind to yourself is a self care tip we all could do a little better on, I think.

Tip Number Nine: Eat your favourite food!

Now me, I'm a chocolate girl through and through. But if I'm having a particularly crappy time, I'll buy a bar of galaxy, or even better, a mini box of lindor chocolates. Lots of people drone on about how bad comfort eating is, and yes I understand that this can sometimes get out of hand. But if you generally live a healthy lifestyle and look after your body with the correct nutrition, a day or two of eating your favourite foods for comfort is not something to be ashamed of! We should be allowed to enjoy our favourite foods without the judgement of our friends or the women's magazine we read at the hairdressers! Go eat that cheese burger and feel great about it.

Tip Number Ten: Practice mindfulness!

Okay, I'm going to own up and say that until this year I thought this was total rubbish. However, I have realised that mindfulness is not necessarily 30 minutes of sitting cross-legged and trying to clear your mind of any thoughts. There are tonnes of ways to practice mindfulness and different things work for different people. Some of my favourites have been using apps for guided relaxation, listening to podcasts and simply performing mundane tasks but taking note of the sensory feelings surrounding that task. If you've tried one thing and it didn't work for you, try something else and keep trying until you find the right thing for you. As someone who suffers from anxiety and could never see the point in mindfulness for many years, I promise you it will change your outlook and your attitude completely! It has helped me to be a calmer and more positive person, and taught me how to let go of things that do not hold enough importance to take up so much of my energy.

As always, this is by no means an exhaustive list! If you have any other self care tips, I would love to hear them in the comments! I'm always looking for some new ideas, and I hope you are too.

Be kind to yourselves.

Charlotte. X