9 practices for self-love and self-care
By Alicia Casey
What does it mean to take care of yourself? For some, it may be taking a break from answering work emails to taking a warm bath. And for others, it looks like walking their dog during lunchtime to get outside. Whatever it may be, self-soothing practices pop up differently for everyone, and at times, they may even change for you. Just know that it’s OK to not know how to help yourself. Sometimes it’s in those moments that you learn and grow.
Having a self-care routine to use throughout the day can help you cultivate self-love. By taking mindful moments to pause and taking timeouts from the hustle and bustle of your schedule, you allow yourself the opportunity to slow down. And in a society that values the grind and working on weekends, being able to step away from the busyness for even one second is nothing short of a miracle.
When it comes to figuring out your own personal wellness toolbox, there’s no perfect list of coping mechanisms you need to have in it. The strategies you use on a daily basis will change based on how you’re feeling and what’s going on around you. And with that, it’s important to practice self-compassion and understanding with yourself since every day your needs will be different. Ah, the beauty of self-care and nourishing your soul!
Here are some tools you can use to get started on making a self-care list. Refer back to these later and use them when you need a little extra grounding during your day.
A non-stressful “Love & Care” list for you
1. Set an intention instead of a routine
In those times when you’re really going through it, sticking to a rigid routine can feel daunting and unattainable. Help yourself by removing that stressful barrier of having to do things a certain way and set an intention to go through the day with grace toward yourself instead.
2. Sign up for a local volunteer event
Getting out and helping others is a great way to forget about your own problems for an hour or two. By dedicating time to help a purpose-driven organization, you allow yourself a moment to gain perspective and reflect on what’s going on around you.
3. Make a group chat with people you’d like to get to know better
Odds are that there’s a group of people you’ve been wanting to connect with more. Maybe you had them in your college classes, met them at a community event or fell out of touch because of busy schedules. Creating a group text with all of them can help you foster connection and feel less alone in your struggles.
4. Download a meditation app and use it with your eyes open
During the day you might not have time to sit down, cross your legs and fully immerse yourself in an eyes-closed meditation session. But you can still get the benefits of releasing tension in your mind by playing recorded meditations while you go about the tasks you have to get done.
5. Create a Spotify account and play around with the AI DJ
All you need to sign up is your email for a free account and you’re good to go from there. Spotify’s testing out a new AI DJ feature that you can find on the music tab of your main page. It will give you music recommendations based on what you’ve been listening to and help you unwind and decompress when you need it the most.
6. Recite five things you love about yourself while washing your hands
Yes, you could be mindful without doing deep breathing and this can look like telling yourself the things you love about yourself while cleaning up. You can start with things you value about who you are along the lines of character traits, how you treat others or risks you took that paid off.
7. Hop on a yoga mat and do Pilates with Nicole on YouTube
The fun thing about Pilates is that it comes with little to no stress. All you need is yourself and a compassionate instructor which you can find in Move With Nicole. Her videos are like moving meditations that soothe both your mind and body at the same time.
8. Leave yourself supportive voice memos to listen back to later
There are moments when the only person who can help you through a situation is yourself. Before those times arise, make a few voice memos to comfort yourself in preparation for those hardships. You can even make recordings to celebrate your accomplishments or big life milestones.
9. Play yourself a sleep story as you go to bed
Open back up that meditation app you downloaded and find a calming story from an instructor to put you to sleep. Put your phone far away from you with the alarm on, of course, relax your body and tune into the story. Let yourself drift away peacefully.
Just so you know, finding what works for you as far as self-care goes is something that takes time, energy and patience. If it happened overnight it wouldn’t be half as rewarding and satisfying in the long run. By devoting even a few minutes a day to techniques of self-love that work for you, you are setting yourself up for long-term wellness and fulfillment.
Header photo by Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels
