“To all my independent ladies!”
(Yes, please sing it as the intro to “Independent Ladies” by Vanessa Bling)
Improve Your Daily Self-Care Routine
Even while you’re out there getting your coin, being fabulous, and doing you, the world may still start to close in on you. The burden of work and other people’s somewhat-selfish concerns can potentially limit your positive mental health and emotional wellness experiences. To ease this load, self-care is an important asset that is necessary for our current fast-paced social climate. This not only involves physical self-care (extra-long baths where you basically wash the grime of the “outside” off your body, for example) but emotional and mental care as well.
Self-care is not only important for your internal relationship with yourself but is also an integral factor for maintaining the health of your relationships with others. How do we incorporate such a vital concept into a hectic and sometimes monotonous lifestyle? What are some ways to improve our daily self-care routine? From interviews to articles online, here’s how women around the world (and I) wedge self-care into the daily routine, from sunrise to sunset:
Rising In The Morning:
- Affirmation
Affirmations date back to ancient Buddhist customs. While it may not be a new concept, many have recently incorporated it into their routine to start their day, regardless of religious backgrounds. Affirmations for the black woman can range from “I am a gift to those around me”, to “Hot gyal a hot gyal, sweet like a honey”. Whatever it is, affirmations are vital to self-care as they help to trigger positive emotions, which can reverberate throughout the day.
- Meditation
Meditation is another ritual, handed down from ancient customs, that can help to improve your daily self-care routine. It can include, but may not be limited to, passages of a holy book, or select inspirational poems and short stories. Meditation on these can help you to map out your day, reinforcing your value to yourself and to others. A personal favorite of mine? “If” by Rudyard Kipling.
Self Care Routine During The Day:
- Water
Water is key to self-care. All those jokes and tweets that run along the lines of ‘drink your water and mind your business’? ACCURATE. To quote a friend of mine (shout out Brithney!) directly: “I don’t know, I don’t know… water just allows me to think clearly.” Her claim is backed up by that of Joshua Gowin, who stated that “years of research have found that when we’re parched, we have more difficulty keeping our attention focused.” Now, if self-care in a hectic world to you means thinking clearly and getting everything done while looking effortlessly flawless (like Beyoncé), then I suggest following what the birds tweet.
- Vocalizing Concerns
My interviewee also suggested vocalizing concerns as a means of self-care. When someone offends you or says something that you do not necessarily agree with, it is best to let it out. Do not suppress your feelings in order to validate others, especially when both you and that person know that they are wrong. Over the years, I have found that speaking up and questioning things allows me to express dissent and lift weight off of my shoulders. It also allows me to build confidence in my self-expression. Airing concerns can be a means of building self-esteem. Self-care and self-love: 1. Self-doubt: 0. (Cue my dramatic hair flip!)
- Positive Vibes
Welcoming and maintaining positivity around you also aids your daily self-care journey. Positivity can be approached in a number of ways. For starters, it includes avoiding negativity. To quote Minister Marion Hall, formerly known as Lady Saw, “Mi too cute fi mix up and blend-blend!” Simply put, avoid gossip and actions which may seem to radiative waves of envy. Give positive compliments; where criticism is due, make it constructive. Build others, and you can, in turn, build yourself. Conversely, you even can do simple things, like buying yourself fancy lunch. Go get that sushi, girl, because you deserve it.
Winding Down At Night:
- Reflection
After a long, weary day, self-reflection helps to round out your daily self-care journey. Think about what you did right, and where you went wrong. It is important, however, that you do not dwell on these events and allow them to consume you. Draw victories and lessons from your various experiences. After this, give yourself a little evening tea or wine. Relax. Unwind. (Yes, I sound like a yoga instructor, but I am serious. It’s a major key!)
- Sleep
After all of these little rituals which I observe throughout the day, there is one thing left to do. To quote Sir Phillip Sidney: “Come sleep, O sleep, the certain knot of peace.” Sleep, along with eating food, is one of the most blissful processes I have ever encountered. Sleep works wonders for your physical, mental, and emotional health. While you sleep, your body rejuvenates itself from within. Lack of sleep can bolster the development of physical and mental diseases (yikes!). So after a long, hot day, sleep is the best thing to end your daily self-care journey.
Now that I have outlined my tips and tricks on self-care throughout the day, I urge you to take my simplified, but uber-relevant, advice. Do one or more of these consistently, and I am sure that caring for you, yourself and you will make going through your days a little easier to bear.
Love and Light,
Danielle
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