Self-Care is More than Face masks

I remember a few years ago when I started noticing an interesting trend among my friends and co-workers. A rebellion was starting, and one that I could get behind. We were saying “no.” We were turning the status quo upside down.

We were going to stop being so damn busy all the time and relax for a minute.

The self-care movement has hit our culture hard. Everywhere you look there’s a new way to de-stress, a new meme encouraging you to say “no” more often, a mommy-blogger writing about her newest face mask obsession (and new favorite wine sponsor). For the most part the self-care movement is positive. We are unplugging, taking back “me” time, and realizing that idolizing busyness is dangerous and unsustainable.

But self-care is more than just face masks and bubble baths. Those things are great, don’t get me wrong (actually, I really am more of a shower person than a bath person). Let me start by breaking down self-care into two categories: stuff that’s easy and stuff that’s hard. Yes, self-care can be hard! More on that in a minute.

First, the fun stuff. This stuff is not only important for your mental and physical health, but easy to do and easy to make time for. On this list you’ll find things like eating your favorite foods, spending time with loved ones, having a spa day, and reading a good book. This list will look different depending on your priorities and the things you like. Thinking about doing these thing makes you excited so start taking care of yourself.

Now we have the hard stuff. This stuff is often just as important (if not more) that the easy stuff, and 100% necessary for your health and happiness. But it’s certainly not fun, or sexy, and doesn’t make great social media fodder. This list includes making that doctor appointment you’ve been avoiding, figuring out your budget to reduce your debt and save for retirement, making sure you are eating well- both in quantity and quality, and everyone’s favorite: exercising.  You can do all the face masks you want but if you haven’t had your annual physical in 5 years, I regret to inform you that you are not really taking care of yourself.

“But all these things suck! How can they be good for me?! Self-care is supposed to be fun!”

Sorry again, but that’s not quite true. Self-care is about finding a good balance between doing the fun stuff and the hard stuff. Think about why you’re avoiding the hard stuff. What makes it so easy to procrastinate? It’s because there are a lot of emotions tied up with that stuff. Does your stomach drop and heart beat faster when you think about these things? That stress, and the resulting avoidance, is just as bad for you as stress caused by your busy lifestyle. The only way to remove it is to take care of these things. I promise it won’t be as scary as you think it is- and you will feel so much better when you do.

One thing that I find oscillates between the easy and the hard list is exercise. Some people love it and have a routine that they prioritize. But many people are intimidated or unsure where to start, so they avoid it. A lot of people who avoid exercise have been conditioned by our culture to believe that exercise has to be hard to be effective, or is only worth it if you burn 1000 calories in your workout. Both of these things are lies. The only exercise worth your effort is exercise you enjoy doing! You don’t have to start with a high-intensity spin class. Start with a ten-minute walk. That counts! If you can’t walk, try ten minutes of chair yoga. Exercise can be free, easy, and fun. Find movement that makes you happy. It will do wonders for your mental and physical health.

I hope you take the time soon to enjoy a nice face mask while you’re tackling whatever hard thing is on your self-care to do list. You don’t have to take them down all at once, but please start making them a priority. Your happiness and health are the most important things- don’t let them get dragged down by only doing the easy stuff.