Self-Care or Nah? - Tea Talk

Happy Wednesday! We are half way through the week and I woke up this morning thinking about the concept of self-care. I feel like self-care has become a huge topic in the last few years but growing up, I don't remember hearing much about the importance of having a self-care routine!

Self-care is "an activity that you do to take care of yourself mentally, emotionally and physically". With that being said, I mentioned in Monday's Tea Talk that I sometimes forget how important it is to take care of myself on a deeper level. I've been brainstorming about things I enjoy doing that would double as self-care. I want to make more of an effort to check in on myself, instead of running on E. Here is what I came up with!

1. Doing a face mask! Simple right? Doesn't take up much time and is a form of pampering yourself. Not only are you taking care of your skin but you get the entire spa vibe in the comfort of your own home. You can find face mask at all price ranges, but being a budget friendly lady, I tend to find mine at Target, Tj Maxx and even Dollar Tree.
2. Knitting/Crafting. I considering crafting self-care. It is something that gets my mind off of whatever is going on and allows me to be creative, even if it's only a short period of time. Knitting is a great stress reliever for me and helps me channel any tension I'm carrying in my body, onto my needles to making something awesome. 
3. Yoga & Walking. Yoga and walking are the only two exercises that I actually don't mind doing. Both are great to clear your mind and release anything you are bottling up. Walking outside gives you a chance to be one with nature and yoga allows you to medicate and stretch at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone. 
4. Journaling. I have several journals going and all of them help me purge whatever I need to get out that day. If are you someone who struggles with being consistent with journals, check out the "one line a day" journals on Amazon. You literally only have to write a sentence. Someday's I write a sentence and others I write a paragraph. It's all about what feels good. I also have a separate Spiritual journal where I write prayers, quotes and other inspiration as I dig deeper into my faith. Lastly, I have a Blogging journal where I keep ideas for Tea Time with Hil and I have a Goal setting journal. For some that may be journal overload, but again, it's about what feels good for you. 
5. Tea. Okay, your probably like how is that self-care? Well to me it is. Most nights I have to have a cup of tea because something about it just soothes me and clears my mind of whatever clutter I've been carrying around all day. In the evening you can often find me with my tea and working on my knitting. 
6. Reading. Reading can get your mind off of things and help you channel that energy into something else. For me, I've been mainly focusing on reading my Bible and Spiritual related Articles. But I also enjoy reading fiction, it's almost like stepping into another world for a little while. 
7. Talking it out. Monday's article was all about the importance of having someone in your corner. Even if it's just one trusted person in your life, sometimes it helps to just say it out loud and work through whatever is going on with someone who knows and cares about you. 
8. Vacations! For me, I love traveling. It can be a weekend trip or a trip for the week with my family, regardless something about getting away for a few days helps me regroup. Day trips count too. 
9. SLEEP. I am definitely someone who functions better when I get 8 hours of sleep, so I make sure I go to bed at a decent time so that I can be in a good head space the next day. You'd be surprised how many health benefits we get just by getting a good nights sleep.
10. Food. Sometimes for me, self-care is allowing myself to have something I'm really craving. Like a donuts. Did I mention how I'm obsessed with donuts? Anyway, this can vary for everyone, but the point is treat yourself sometimes. Remember, everything in moderation. 

So there we have it, my self-care list. In 2020, I plan to really do a better job of checking in on myself and doing things that will help me relax and clear my head. Everything I listed is super simple, so now I just have incorporate the things I already enjoy into my weekly routine. I am hopeful that I can stick to this realistic goal (a previous post I wrote). The first step is acknowledging that I need to do better, now I need implement! Here's to taking better care of our minds, bodies and spirits. 

"You can't pour from an empty glass, take care of yourself first"