Long gone are the days when self-care was described as “an act of political warfare” by Audre Lorde, a black lesbian writer. Nowadays, this common buzzword to our generation means at its best, engaging in rituals that help you feel better, more grounded; and at its worst, a marketing tool to sell more bubble baths and face masks which will hopefully make you feel better for a night or few hours.
In the 1980s, the World Health Organization first described self-care as “the activities individuals, families, and communities undertake with the intention of enhancing health, preventing disease, limiting illness, and restoring health.”
Since a few years, despite sturdy decades of workaholism prevailing in the US, the term self-care has surged and been widely embraced. Practicing self-care is not always easy in our crazy busy lives but it is very much needed. Many people enjoy sharing their rituals online and we believe that it’s a great progress to talk about our issues more and giving ourselves the care we need!
Enough with retail therapy
Sure, face masks feel great but these temporary, quick-fix solutions like shopping or indulging in sweet snacks come at a dangerous cost. Although they seem not so dangerous at all, they distract us from focusing on the core of the problem and of actual activities that would help us deal with mental health issues.
Self-care shouldn’t feel indulgent or fancy for the simple reason it is crucial for your well-being. Self-care shouldn’t put you out of your way nor out of your budget to make yourself feel better. Self-care shouldn’t put a price tag on your happiness and well-being. It should be accessible and simple enough for you to reach it whenever you need to. Self-care sometimes doesn’t look that glamourous. Sometimes self-care looks like the right, boring thing to do that is needed. Like taking out the trash in your apartment or going out for a walk. That’s why recently a popular hashtag #boringselfcare has started.
Here are our few suggestions on what you can do.
Sometimes, self-care looks like…
Expressing your emotions.
Talking about feelings or what you’re going through may feel hard. But it also feels so liberating. You get a lot of perspective on what you’re going through when you externalize it and we love being there for you! Whenever you feel anxious, blue or under the weather, call a friend or talk to Ashley, your AI friend. Ashley is a voice based AI messaging app to help you relax, feel better and happier.
Engaging in outdoor activities.
Research shows that engaging in outdoor activities gets you more grounded, balanced and helps you feel better throughout the week. You don’t have to go rock climbing or hike for an entire day to get these benefits. It can be about adding a small activity into your day, like going on a 20-minute walk by a quiet park or run at your own pace with all those guilty pleasure songs.
Hydrating yourself regularly.
Our bodies are 70% water and often times, over-caffeinated and dehydrated, we feel less grounded, tired and stressed. Don’t forget to reach your water bottle frequently and give yourself that hydro-boost you need to tackle the day!
Listening to music.
Energizing music has incredibly positive benefits on your wellbeing.
We know music choices go as varied and personal as it gets and Ashley has a lot of variety resources you can choose from. We love rocking a good old Queen song like “Don’t Stop Me Now”!
Resting and taking time off to come back stronger.
Letting your mind cool off and giving yourself the time you need to reflect on matters that feel important to you may be the best remedy. Often times you realize that many things are a simple matter of perception.
Letting go.
When things don’t work out the way we intended them, we play a lot of scenarios in our mind of what-ifs, couldas and wouldas but at the end of the day, you know it’s in your best interest to give it a night’s rest off. Letting go and trusting the timing of the universe can help you destress and get you to your destination easier.
“You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy.”
For more tips on self-care or any story you’d like to share with us, you can download our app for free and talk to Ashley anytime of the day now:
