Valentine's Day - Self Care

Self care can be kind of a buzz phrase now a days, but I do think it's an important part of dealing with life and stress.  Whether you use self care as a treat or a way to de-stress, like I do, you'll agree that it is a necessary part of a routine. And with Valentine's day coming up and the polar reactions that come from the red and pink holiday, self care can be pushed to the back burner while the stress of the holiday sets in.  If you have someone special or not, I suggest using Valentine's day to show some love to yourself. 

I deal with anxiety and depression to varying degrees and in different waves of intensity.  Self care is just one way that makes dealing with anxiety and depression a lot easier.  Sometimes this is just allowing time for sitting, and escaping mentally by reading.  Other times, it's yoga or taking baths and pampering myself.  Self care is something that I started in college to combat stress and depression and it continues to be something that helps me. 

Before I start the bath, I wipe down the tub and everything with a rag washcloth. We have cats, so getting ride of any stray hairs or toys is necessary.  It's always just a good idea to make sure things are clean.  For me, having things clean also sooths my nerves.  

For the bath itself, I like to add about a 1/3 cup of baking soda (for detox), three to four mint tea bags or white tea bags (this colors the water and makes my skin ridiculously soft), vanilla bath salts, vanilla bubble bath and various oils like Argan and Jojoba oil.  For me, this is the most relaxing combination. This took me awhile to find what I like best for my relaxation, but it definitely wasn't a stressful process.  Sometimes the flavor of bubble bath changes as I will mix it up to suit my mood.  I don't use bath bombs that much any more because of the clean up of glitter and some of them have citric acid, so I opted to limit my use of them. However, I still can't help myself sometimes and will on occasion pick up a few.

For while I'm in the bath, I usually bring one to two books, and my tablet for music or watching booktube videos. I will generally do a face mask, the type changes with each bath, and if I'm feeling particularly self indulgent, a hair mask too. I like to have a few candles and a glass of water near by as well.  This is when I really start to relax and just allow my mind to go blank for a while.  I find baths to be a great way to show myself some self care. On occasion, I can get hubby to join me, which adds to my relaxation.

After the bath, I like to use various lotions and potions before slipping off to bed.  I use this time to extend the pampering.  My go to's are some sort of oil for my hair, an over night face mask, a hydrating body lotion or body butter and a rich foot lotion, followed by colorful fuzzy socks.  After this, I like to either hop into bed or on the couch with a big blanket, tea, and either my book or laptop for more zoning out.  My habits after the bath always change but my goal is to always take it slow, calm down, and allow the stress and anxiety to leave my head and body.

Happy creating, happy emotional health, and Happy Valentines Day!

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