Healthy Living: How to Pamper Yourself and Practice Self-Care
It is often a harsh truth that people who need pampering are the ones that unapologetically carry the brunt of a burden. They usually put the needs of others above their own and they are ready to endure until they are on their knees. While this is honorable, it is also very unhealthy. You should always strive to reward yourself for the effort, so if you plan to practice healthy living, here’s how to practice self-care and pamper yourself without reservation.
It can be quite cheap
When people hear “self-care”, they usually think it involves spending too much money, but it actually doesn’t have to be the case. Small things such as listening to meditation music while relaxing in a bathtub, going for a long nightly walk with earbuds blaring your favorite music or taking a break from the digital realm with your upbeat friend(s) – these are all perfectly legitimate and cheap ways to pamper yourself. Remember, anything that puts you in a state of true relaxation can be defined as self-care.
Photo by Yanapi Senaud on Unsplash
In harmony with others
You have probably heard this one before – self-care means caring about others. However, this philosophy is not about sacrificing yourself for others and bearing other people’s burdens. It just points out that, since humans are predominantly social animals, living in harmony with others is one of the pillars of healthy living. It does not have to be hard or elaborate, just share positive energy with small gestures from time to time.
Write a message or a letter to someone you appreciate and surprise them with kind words that celebrate their virtues without any cause and observe the reaction. You can send gift cards for suitable occasions if you are uncertain what sort of a present to buy or just arrange a meet up with someone you care about and do something unexpected downtown. These are all perfectly valid methods to pamper yourself, especially if you are a gregarious type that thrives in company.
Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash
Self-grooming is self-care
If you have some extra money in your budget, you can always go for some other widely-accepted pampering options. For example, you can reserve an entire day for beauty appointments because self-grooming essentially is self-care.
You can kick off your day with a long massage by a reputable professional who is usually recommended by your friends. You can then proceed for manicure and pedicure appointments and top it all off with getting your hair done. Of course, you can add interesting little curiosities to the mix – you can go for a skin care treatment or spend some time in a spa and sauna.
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash
Exercise regularly
However, self-care sometimes requires effort on your part, and this is the area where most people’s opinions tend to diverge. Some consider exercising an excruciating chore while others find it the most important self-pampering treatment of the day. Both parties agree that regular exercise is undeniably healthy in the long term.
In addition, if one defines pampering yourself as an activity that has to include an element of relaxation, it can become harder to define exercise as a part of this topic. Yet the body itself cannot lie and it undeniably considers exercise as self-pampering, especially if it has been practiced regularly for some time. Hitting the local gym at least three times a week and adopting a program that includes at least thirty minutes of warm-up jogging will improve your cardiovascular system, encourage the secretion of toxins and stimulate your immune system. The effects are irrefutable and exercise is the ultimate answer to self-care and healthy living.
We live in a crazy world. Due to the rapid advent of technology, the omnipresent digital media and information overload has turned everything up to eleven and it can be hard to keep up the pace and juggle all aspects of life without dropping a few balls from time to time. This is why it has become more important than ever to find time to practice self-care. Be selfish and treat yourself with some pampering. Follow a few simple and streamlined philosophies and develop the inner clock that will tell you when it is finally the time to prioritize yourself.