How to plan a self-care ritual before the new year arrives
The word self-care has been the new buzzword for so many reasons. Self-care is about taking a break from everything that stresses you and taking time off to care for yourself. But, self-care isn’t only about putting on a face mask and running yourself a warm bubble bath every once in a while. No, instead, it should be a ritual you reward yourself with every day. Practising self-care can help you understand your worth, create a healthy life-work balance, and help reduce and control your stress levels.
But, you may still be curious as to how you can practise self-care. Well, read these helpful tips down below to help you create a daily self-care ritual and stick to it.
Find time to treat yourself
Creating a ritual where you treat yourself is a great way of practising self-care and more importantly, self-love. Because at the end of the day, if you start practising loving yourself, self-care days will also become a priority. Creating small pleasures for yourself is what will help you get through those tough days.
A few examples of treating yourself would be going to get your hair done at a hair salon in Cape Town or any other city with amazing hairdressers. Yes, it may cost you money, but the pleasure of having someone else take care of you for a little while can make all the difference in brightening up your day. This can easily become a monthly ritual. Another worthwhile ritual is treating yourself to a coffee date at a coffee shop in Cape Town. That coffee break may take a few minutes, but as a coffee lover, what better way to relax and recollect yourself than over a warm a cup of coffee.
Start reading more books
For all you bookworms, this is the perfect treat. You can find a book shop in Cape Town with a variety of books to choose from. Yes, you can get an e-book but, when you’re practising a self-care day, it is beneficial for you to ditch your phone and start reading a book with real pages. Being off your screens can have several benefits; It helps you stay in the present moment, be aware of things around you, improve sleep, have deeper connections with people, and become more proactive. When you leave your screen and grab a book, you’re taking a much-needed break from the digital world and getting in touch with yourself again.
Eat something healthy
Eating healthy, nutritious food is extremely beneficial for your overall well-being. So, visit a health store in Cape Town and grab a few goodies. Because the food we put into our bodies has the potential to help keep you healthy, both physically and mentally. It can help aid weight loss, improve your mood, memory, and improve your gut health. So, try out nutrition stores in Cape Town and get some fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and protein into your body.
Prioritise sleep
Sleep plays a huge role in your overall well-being. And, in many cases, people don’t realise how crucial it is to add a good night’s sleep to their self-care checklist. So, start by creating a nighttime routine; whether it is taking a bath or shower, getting your eight hours of sleep or having supper two hours before bedtime, all those things can play a huge role in how well you sleep at night. When you get enough sleep, you are calmer, more relaxed and ready to take on every situation in life and work. So, always make sure you value your sleep!
Learn how to say NO!
Many people understand how being a people-pleaser has its disadvantages. Being a people-pleaser may sometimes result in you having to stay late at work because you couldn’t say no to a colleague who asked for a favour. Although it’s admirable being helpful, it can take its toll on you. It can leave you feeling tired and frustrated with yourself, especially when you can’t keep your promise. Having negative thoughts and frustration towards yourself isn’t good, more so if it could have been prevented by saying no. This does not mean you should be rude or disrespectful.
No, it simply means taking care of yourself first. For example. if you’re asked to leave work late but you’re simply too tired, you can respectfully say no. Another example would be a friend asking to hang out when your finances are tight. Saying yes won’t help you; instead, it will allow those negative feelings to manifest. And, you wouldn’t want to undo all the work you put into your self-love and self-care journey. So, learn how to say no when you can’t do something and enjoy the freedom that comes with it.
Final thoughts
Whether you decide that you want to buy yourself a book, start eating healthy or treating yourself, it’s always good to take the first step in your self-care journey. This will help take care of your body so that it can, in turn, take care of you. Trying to do everything at once won’t help you in your career. Yes, you may get there faster, but it will leave you feeling burnt out and unmotivated. So, make sure you always take care of yourself first so that you have enough energy to achieve your goals.