Practicing Personal Acts of Self-Care

Between long work days and packed calendars, it can be surprisingly easy to forget about taking care of yourself.

It might seem frivolous, but neglecting to slowww dowwwn and simply rest every once in a while can lead to serious stress and burnout. I feel like we all technically *know* this, considering #selfcare has been trending for about two straight years now (and for good reason), but we should definitely avoid just going through the motions.

Self-care does and should mean different things to different people, and what works for one person may not work for another. Finding what personally relaxes *you* and helps *you* de-stress is super important — but that doesn’t mean you can’t look to others for inspiration!

Check out what a few friends of THINX had to say about their own personal acts of self-care:

“I like to give myself one day every couple weeks to be completely alone. I’ll drink tea, paint a bit, take a walk; anything that really refreshes my body.” - Havila H.

“Working in social media, this one doesn't fly all the time; however, whenever I know someone else can cover me on emails or it’s a slow day, I just turn off my phone for my commute home. Not just put it on Airplane Mode, but 100% shut it down. I have my headphones on, so no one disturbs me and no one is the wiser, but it's a fantastic feeling to be undisturbed by the constant buzzing and pinging from Slack and emails.” - Kim H.

“I watch This is Us and Grey’s Anatomy while giving myself a manicure and ugly crying. Very therapeutic. Best to do alone 😉.” - Yon L.

"When I take a few minutes in the beginning of my day to plan out my tasks or week, it helps me really focus on what's important. I can rule out things that are just minutiae and be more present when it matters. And if I have some down time and am feeling creative, creating weekly or monthly spreads in my bullet journal helps me de-stress and unwind." - Kathleen A.

“I feel like I should be embarrassed, but I watch multiple Real Housewives franchises as a form of self-care. It's an easy way to make my brain run on autopilot and forget about whatever is stressing me out that day.” - Brianna F.

"I exercise to get my excess energy out — it feels good to kick your own ass in something. Sometimes, I try and meet up with a friend to workout together on the days I'm not feeling motivated. I also appreciate the hang-out time." - Carolyn K.

“I go for a 30-minute walk every other morning. I find that getting my body moving in a gentle way first thing in the morning helps me feel productive and healthy. I’ll listen to music, a podcast, or just daydream. I used to be super-uncomfortable spending time alone with myself, but these walks have definitely helped me appreciate my own company.” - Shanika P.

“Meditating, showering, painting my nails, ripping off the bandage and taking care of my to-do list, intentional tea drinking, calling my mom, writing lists when I need to organize myself, taking time to worry/journal, singing out loud and dancing… all these things help me recognize that I am a human, and among my goals, I have a basic need to feel good about my everyday experience.” - Shannon O.

“Keeping a daily/weekly journal helps me remember really awesome moments, helps me process certain stressful things, and helps me ‘talk’ through a lot of issues. It also helps me manage stress and keeps me level-headed.” - Clare M.

“I always make sure to wake up early enough to give myself 15 minutes to sit in silence before I head off to work. I wouldn’t call it meditation, but more of a daily reflection. Doing so helps me put things into perspective, focus on what’s important, and it’s a needed respite before talking to people in an office for 9.5 hours 🙃.” - Morgan R.

“Every time I start to feel extra-depressed I do a peel-off face mask. It always makes me feel refreshed and like I’m getting a do-over for my skin, and I like feeling like I’m working towards improving something — but it’s relaxing and pampering, too! I also feel like you can usually see a visible difference in your skin immediately after, plus it feels good.” - Stacey C.

How about you? What’s a seemingly small thing that you do to practice self-care, and how do you feel it affects your overall well-being? Share with us in the comments!

Toni Brannagan is a writer and was the former Copy and Content Manager at Thinx.