This year has been *dramatic sigh*… CHAOTIC!
If you’re a human on this planet, then you know this year has been uncertain, unprecedented, and unwavering in its attacks on our well-being. We’re balancing so many things at once: the new norm of working in our homes, staying connected with friends and family, staying informed on current events, and grieving all the various individual and collective losses. I have managed to unlock brand new levels of anxiety and overwhelm. This year has forced me to elevate my self-care game since doing my usual yoga flow followed by a guided meditation has not been enough to give myself the care I honestly need.
Self-care isn’t prescriptive and is unique to every person. True self-care can’t be simplified to a list of things that a person must do every single day. It requires forming small habits that help you take care of yourself in all the different ways you need to be taken care of: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, socially, financially, etc.
Self-care isn’t prescriptive and is unique to every person.
My process for building these habits involves creating space to take care of my most basic needs. Right now, the foundational acts of eating food, drinking water, moving my body, and keeping my apartment somewhat tidy take exponentially more energy than usual. This means practicing self-care is that much more important.
This post is #sponsored by Blendily, a skincare kitchen based in Portland, OR. I’ve actually never had a real skincare routine before but I’ve recently found joy in incorporating skincare into my existing self-care rituals. Blendily is a handmade skincare brand where fresh, locally grown & gathered herbs & flowers are blended splendidly with exotic botanicals to create an array of skincare, and bath & body products. The simple and high-quality ingredients are what convinced me that these were the right skincare products for me. I could honestly eat the Strawberry Secret Lip Scrub which is made with locally grown organic strawberries and cane sugar. I’m looking forward to the ongoing taste of summer even as we transition into colder months.
Most of the time, the first things I do in the morning are take a giant swig of water, splash some water on my face, and give myself a spritz of toner. Blendily’s Cool As A Cucumber Facial Toner Spray is such a calming way to start the day. Before I’m ready to dive into work, I make a short list of the accomplishments I want to have by the end of the day. Sometimes it’s finally responding to an email that’s been sitting in my Starred folder while other days it can be as simple as making time to clean out the fridge. There have been days where a few simple tasks seem like way too much to handle. I do my best to focus on what’s necessary and urgent to minimize the feelings of overwhelm. My capacity to get things done varies from day to day. If I recognize I’m starting to approach my limit, I maintain my sense of balance by saving lower priority tasks for another day.
A cluttered space can easily derail my focus. Since almost everything happens from home, my apartment devolves into messiness within a day or two. One of my favorite ways to reset my workspace is to set a timer for 15 minutes and play some music while tidying up. Blendily’s Pineapple Express Face Mask is my current favorite. It’s exfoliating, clarifying, and hydrating. I’ll blast some Chloe x Halle or Billie Eilish or Anderson .Paak, put on a face mask, and actually put things away.
Self-reflection, with the support of a therapist, has been invaluable for me during quarantine. On Mondays, ahead of my weekly session, I’ll take a hot shower and exfoliate with Blendily’s Mojito Mio Shower and Body Scrub to get into a cozy mood. I often take deep breaths to take in the scents of lemon and lime zest in the scrub. Then, during my sessions I can feel clean and comfortable while doing the tough inner work that needs to happen. I can’t stress enough how wonderful it has been to have the tools to notice patterns of unhealthy behaviors in real-time.
I usually decompress at the end of the day with a book or by streaming a few episodes of a sitcom on Netflix. I’m a sucker for a good serum so I wind down by slathering my face with Blendily’s Emerald Forest Face Oil which smells like forest trees and citrus. There is still so much uncertainty to grapple with. Focusing on taking care of myself and tackling things moment by moment has helped me stay centered during the long months of this pandemic.
