Self-care is a thing & here's how to do it right

We’re not really sure when the self-care trend started but we definitely agree that in this day and age of hard-core hustling it is a concept that should be here to stay. 

So what is self-care exactly? Well, it isn’t about being selfish. It is purely about being aware of what you need to maintain your health and wellbeing, and knowing that these needs can’t be compromised. This could mean anything from taking a dance class every week, to assigning 2 hours every Sunday to prepare your favourite nourishing meals for the week ahead. As we’re sure you know, if there’s one thing we love most it's spreading wellness so here are some simple self-care strategies.

via @thepottedjungle

Convert your home into a conservatory
Okay so maybe you don’t need to go that far but purchasing some indoor plants is one easy way to bring a breath of fresh air into your surroundings -  literally. Plants improve air quality by absorbing and filtering out tiny particles of air pollution and at the same time breathing in carbon dioxide. They then are so kind as to transform the particles and carbon dioxide into fresh oxygen for us to breath in. Who knew greenery was so generous! But if this wasn’t enough, even the soil in your potted plants has its own microbiome that contributes to this cleaning process–much like the good bugs in our gut!  So go out and buy that hanging pathos or a volumous Monstera if you have space to be a little Jurassic-parkesque. Not only will you be breathing in the good stuff, every time you see your little shrubberies you’re sure to have a smile on your dial. Science actually says that upon sighting of greenery your brain releases happy endorphins (yay!) so what are you waiting for? Get your green thumb on.

Tune out
Do you ever wonder what you did with your time before Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest? Well there has never been a better time than now to find out. Make time to log out, even if it’s just for an hour or two. Sometimes the superficial imagery we’re exposed to on social media can skew our view on the here and now. It doesn’t make your job any easier by constantly seeing flawless  pictures of people travelling the world, eating foods that might as well be in an art museum whilst you’re stuck at your desk trying to figure out if the dust accumulating on your monitor is technically at health-concern level or not.  So tune out, it will help you to appreciate what is wonderful on your life and protect your mind from the stimulus that doesn’t really matter.

Get enough zzz’s
Sleep is one of the essentials your body needs to stay alive, just after food and water. Psychologically, sleep is essential to keeping you thinking rationally. So if you want to stay sane, ample sleep is a must and needs to be prioritized daily to ensure you’re well rested and able to function at your optimum.

Physiologically, without your full 7-9 hours a night, the body cannot detoxify from absorbing the toxins in our environment that we inadvertedly ingest on a daily basis. Furthermore, there are multiple hormonal and metabolic functions that must occur whilst at rest so that when you wake up you feel re-energised. And if that’s not reason enough, there’s always the whole ‘beauty’ sleep factor that we can all agree is also rather important.

Treat yo'self
This is not saying that you need to immediately stop what you’re doing and head to the shops for a splurge. We are talking about the little things you can start to do on a regular basis that makes you feel good. Like buying that shampoo that is a couple extra dollars more than the non-label purely because you love the smell and it wakes you up in the morning. Or taking some time out of your busy schedule each day to go for that beach walk that helps you decompress. Whatever it is, if it’s important to you, do it! Of course, there are always factors to consider such as budget or time constraints, but it’s so worthwhile to indulge in the things that make you smile.

Further reading: Mother's Day gift guide

Keep it clean
Having a clean space not only helps your health by preventing you from breathing in toxins like dust or mould spores (ew) it can help to put your mind at ease. It is always a pleasant surprise to come home from a long hard day to see a clean kitchen to make dinner in or a made bed ready to flop into when you’re exhausted. A wise man once said that at the end of the day, if you haven’t achieved anything else, coming home to a made bed will give you a sense of accomplishment and encouragement to get onto the next day. We think this couldn’t be truer so time to start putting in just a little more elbow grease here and there. Don’t leave it to future-self to start keeping it cleaner, start making a reason to thank past self.