As women, society often tells us that we need to take care of everyone else before ourselves while putting our needs and wants on the back burner. But let’s be honest – that never works. All it does is feed into a false narrative that our health and wellbeing isn’t as important. Not catering to your personal well being can cause burnout, stress, sleep deprivation and anxiety.   

Making self care a priority is always important, but especially so during the winter months when many of us already struggle to reach an optimal level of happiness and relaxation. In the spirit of taking care of ourselves, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite self care activities you can easily implement into your everyday life. After all, selfcare can be something as simple as treating yourself to your favorite iced vanilla latte on your way to work, or as extravagant as taking a weeklong vacation on a tropical island. 

No matter what you choose, remember that YOU are important and taking time for yourself is anything but selfish. 

Have a beauty routine

Sometimes self care can be something as easy as having a beauty routine you do when you know you need a little “boost” of confidence in your own skin. There’s nothing better than coming home after a long day and relaxing in a nice hot bubble bath while doing your beauty routine.  I love a good sugar scrub exfoliator and the TreeHut brand is the best. It always leaves my skin feeling refreshed and soft. Bonus – they have new fall scents! Another thing I love are these GlowRecipe serums and moisturizers. They smell fruity and leave your skin feeling hydrated and refreshed. Their watermelon line is amazing! Especially the moisturizer and sleep mask. 

Cuddle your Pets

What better way to de-stress than coming home to a happy loving animal? They don’t care if your day went horribly, if you got into a fight with your parents, or if you got your heart broken. All they care about is that you are there. They’ll shower you with kisses, tail wags, and tons of cuddles. Trust me – dog cuddles are the best remedy for a stressful day. So hug your pets, and spend some quality time with them. If you don’t have pets, find a friend you can borrow for an hour or two. 

Stretch it out – Yoga

Do you ever get so stressed that you can physically feel your muscles tightening and feel the tension in your shoulders/neck? Keeping that tension in your body is only going to cause you to feel drained and sore. The best way to get rid of unwanted emotions our bodies are holding onto is to stretch it out! Taking a few moments before bed, or first thing in the morning to breathe and stretch out your muscles, can do wonders for your mind. Trust me your body will thank you. 

If you’re unsure where to start, youtube or social media is filled with yoga and stretching guides you can find for free online. 

Journaling 

Writing out your thoughts and emotions throughout the day can be one of the best forms of self care. It allows you to decompress from your day and really evaluate how you’re feeling. You can process your thoughts in a way that no one else but you has to read. It can be long drawn out pages or something as simple as a few lines. Evaluating your mental state and really allowing yourself to be vulnerable with your feelings can be an amazing form of self care and growth. 

Treat Yourself 

Go on – treat yourself! No seriously, do it. The world tells us everyday that we need to be mindful of our spending and while that’s true, it’s also important to let yourself have the things you want in life. Save up for that extravagant handbag you’ve been wanting, get a haircut, a massage, your nails done. Do something that you’ve been wanting to do just for yourself. Anything to give yourself a boost of happiness. 

Spend time with friends

As humans we crave socialization. Yes, even those of us who are introverts need human interaction every once and a while. Spending time with your friends and family is a great way to forget about your worries for a few hours and go do something fun! Plan a weekly “girls night” get together and spend some quality time with your best gal pals. Just be mindful of your social battery, and don’t over do it. 

Spend time in nature

This might be one of the lesser obvious forms of self care, but surrounding yourself with nature can be good for the soul. That can mean buying yourself a bouquet of fresh flowers every few weeks, going hiking with friends, going to a park to play with your dog, or even taking a vacation. Surrounding yourself with fresh air and sunshine does wonders for your mentality. I guarantee it’ll remind you to slow down, breathe, relax, and remember that like the changing of the seasons, all your worries are temporary.

I hope this list of self care activities helps you take some time for the most important person in your life – you! I’d love to hear your favorite self care activities below.