What comes to mind when you hear that saying? Do you think you have to spend a lot of money? Do you feel that it’s unnecessary? Do you think you’re too busy? When i say “treat yo’ self”, I’m talking about treating yourself to self-care. Self-care is so necessary and it’s become very vital to my life. Its made such a difference in my mood and I thoroughly enjoy it! I think the concept first came to me from Cara Alwill Leyba. She mentioned how we should take care of ourselves and if we do that things in our life will flow better and at first I was like Its gonna cost so much money and Yeah right! However, as I stated to slowly implement things in my life, I started feeling like maybe she’s on to something. It’s a powerful tool that we can use to improve ourselves.
What is self-care? Self-care is described as the practice of taking action to preserve or improve’s one’s own health. In other words, it’s doing what makes you feel good no matter what that may be. It can be anything from buying yourself a nice little trinket to closing your eyes and meditating for 10 minutes. It’s no secret that I love to spend money. HOWEVER, the way life worked out, I’m a college babe on a budget. Which means I’m looking for any way that doesn’t cost a lot of money to make myself feel better after a long day or week. Do I enjoy splurging every now and then with a latte from Starbucks or a mani/pedi? Sure! But when I can’t do those things, I look to other ways to treat myself and make me feel good and that’s all that matters!
What does treating myself look like for me? Cooking myself a nice breakfast instead of just eating cereal (not that there’s anything wrong with that) or drinking my morning juice in a wine glass or champagne flute (it makes it look that much prettier). It’s choosing to take time to work out and eat a healthy meal or drink a smoothie. It’s curling up on my sofa with a blanket and a kitty in my lap as I read a book. It’s choosing to put my phone down and watch a movie or TV show that I like and just enjoy being. Taking a walk, listening to a podcast…the list goes on and on. Whats a commonality with those things? I didn’t have to break the bank to do it!
Putting yourself first is a priority. A lot of times as women, we tend to put others needs in front of our own and we take care of others. But what about ourselves? We can’t pour from an empty cup, that’s why it’s so important that we take the time to do something nice for ourselves every once in a while. A couple of weeks ago, I was at work and I was so sore from my workouts and exhausted when one of my friends said to me “girl, you need to go home and take a nice hot bath and just soak” and at first I was like “nah” but then something clicked and I was like “heck yeah!”. What did I do that night? Took a hot bath with some bath salts of lavender and other herbs, lit a candle, grabbed my book and relaxed. I was so happy I did too because I started to feel better and my attitude improved that day! I even put on my silk robe instead of a t-shirt and pajamas, which was a bonus for me! Really, you should try it sometime. Wearing silk robe raising your glam vibration!
Taking care of yourself is not being lazy. It’s not you being selfish. It’s putting yourself first! I remember one time a friend of mine at the time was calling me relentlessly to talk about nothing and that day I wasn’t in the mood for it so I didn’t answer. What did I do instead? Watch a movie and actually posted about it and of course she saw it and got mad but I didn’t care. I was mentally exhausted and had to take care of myself. Maybe you should text others and let them know hey I’m gonna be unavailable at this time or just don’t say anything but get back to them when you can. Again, it’s not selfish. If they truly love you they will understand. Sometimes I call my best friend and she doesn’t answer. Do I go nuts? No! Maybe she’s busy or not in the talking mood. She’ll get back to me when she can and she does! I understand that some days are challenging and you just don’t feel like talking at that particular time. Sometimes you need to unplug and that’s okay.
My point is: do what is best for you. Whether it’s taking five minutes for yourself to unplug and write in a journal or just to sit, those five minutes will make a difference. How do you show yourself self-care?
Nessa D 