Looking After You | 10 Day Self Care Challenge

@anniesprat

Today is a bit of a different post from me. You all know how much I am into & promote self care & self love so I wanted to share this wee challenge originally created by Tami Walker from @wonderforest. It’s 10 prompts over 10 days to help improve confidence & self-esteem, mental health & stress levels, your physical health & to help to get to know yourself better. Tami’s hopes for this challenge was to help us realise ways in which we need to care for ourselves better & to help us make that more of a habit. I think Tami has done a fantastic jobs with the 10 prompts & they’re the perfect way to think about why & how we can start taking better care of ourselves on a more regular basis. 

I’ll leave Tami’s post linked along with the prompts directly from her post. 

Day One: Drink 8 Glasses Of Water

It’s recommends that you drink 8 glasses of water a day but so many of us struggle with actually doing this. Some people don’t like water, some just prefer other drinks. There are ways to make drinking water easier for you though. We all know how important it is for both our physical & mental health & it’s one of the most basic forms of self-care. You can keep tracker of this in your planner or bullet journal to make sure you get it done! 

Day Two: Listen To A Positive Podcast

There are tones of podcasts out there on pretty much every topic under the sun. Self-improvement is a wonderful form of self-care, so listen to a podcast that will help you make positive changes in yourself or in your life. Here’s a great list of great podcasts for personal growth that you can choose from. 

Day Three: Spend Time In Nature

Nature is a calming place for most people. The fresh air, the beauty & the solitude of nature can help clear your mind, increase your creativity, lower your stress levels & become more mindful among many other benefits. Plus, Vitamin D from the sun has many benefits. Take some time to go outside & take a walk or just sit in nature & take note of your surrounding. If you suffer from depression or anxiety, this can also help keep your symptoms at bay. 

Day Four: Pamper Yourself

Pampering yourself is probably the most popular form of self-care & for good reason. Pampering not only helps you relax & take a break, but it can also help you feel good about yourself. When you take the time to use a face mask, make yourself a hair mask, paint your nails or take a nice bath, you’re telling yourself you’re worth the effort. You’re putting time & energy into yourself & letting yourself know that you’re worthy. 

Day Five: Write In Your Journal Or Start One 

Journaling is my favourite form of self-care, probably because of the massive amounts of benefits that it can bring into your life. It can help you process your emotions, feel calmer, be more mindful, achieve your goals, stay organised & way more. So, start a journal or make it a point to write in one that you have. You can use a traditional journal, a bullet journal, a computer document or even a journaling app. 

Day Six: Go To Bed Early

It’s recommended that an adult gets 6-8 hours sleep a night but this is yet another thing most people struggle with. Getting too little of sleep can leave you feeling groggy, low on energy, grumpy & it can even cause a cold or illness. If this is something that you struggle with, go to bed early & try to sleep for 6-8 hours. If you’re someone who over-sleeps, you could set your alarm for a bit earlier to make sure you’re only getting 6-8 hours. Either way, you’ll feel better in thew morning. 

Day Seven: Do A Random Act Of Kindness

Few things make us feel as good as doing something kind or generous for someone else plus is spreads positivity around - which the world sorely needs. So, pay for the personal behind you in a drive-thru line, donate items or money to a charity, give someone a genuine compliment, purchase someone a gift or do something else that you can think of. 

Day Eight: Find Something To Laugh About 

Laugher is really the best medicine & it can do so much for our health. So, do something that makes you laugh today & preferably everyday. You could watching funny movies/videos/shows, read a funny book, talk to someone who makes you laugh, play with a silly pet or look at funny memes online. 

Day Nine: Write A Letter To Yourself

Or make a list of things you love about yourself. I know it may seem silly or pointless but this can so so much for your subconscious & it can help you in more ways that one. Write a genuine letter about how much you love yourself. Be descriptive & detailed. Or write out a list of things that you love for yourself - as many things as you can think of. You can put this not or list away to read whenever you’re feeling low about yourself. 

Day Ten: Declutter

When my house is a mess, my brain feels like a mess plus my mood & motivation will go downhill. Decluttering whatever room you spend the most time in doesn’t take much time but it can give you a load of benefits. Your brain will feel more organised & you will feel more calm & focused. 

B x 

5 Beauty Tips For Winter

@thoughtcatalog

Winter always proves to be a difficult time for my skin. Although we’ve had it pretty good lately, weather wise, I know the great weather isn’t going to last long & for me, this means dry, itchy skin which is never any fun. 

I’ve tried to include tips in this post that aren’t just adding a richer moisturiser to your routine. It’s about not only finding products that work for you but also taking your routines & lifestyle into consideration. These are just some of thing that help me get through the winter while feeling a lot more comfortable. 

Hydrate From The Inside Out

Keeping your body hydrated is important all year long but we must pay special attention to how much water we’re consuming during the colder months, usually it’s not enough. In the winter, I’m constantly reminding myself to stay hydrated compared to the summer when I can easily go through jugs of water & am eating plenty of fresh fruits & vegetables. Stay hydrated does so many amazing things for out bodies & just one of those things is that helps improve blood circulation, which helps give you plump & hydrated skin. Sometimes drinking warm water with lemon is a bit easier than reaching for plain, cold water in the winter especially when you’re already cold. There are plenty of ways to help keep yourself hydrated over the winter, it’s just about finding what works best for you. 

Get Rid Of Flakey Skin

Cold weather also means dry skin. Not only is the air dry but we’re also buried under layers of clothing & our skin doesn’t get the chance to breathe. Moisturising is great but unless you remove all the dead, flakey layers first, it won’t do much good. A few times a week, use a body scrub in the shower & then follow up with your favourite moisturiser or body oil. 

Moisture, Moisture, Moisture

Moisturising your skin in the winter is important for obvious reasons but it’s important we don’t forget about everything else. I like to use pure almond oil to help keep my nails & cuticles continuously moisturised. For my hands, act the moment I’m using an Ecoya Hand Cream which has the most beautiful scent of Sweetpea & Jasmine but of course any super hydrating hand cream of your choice is just as great. To help lock in mositure when it comes to my hair I’ve been really enjoying the Garnier Fructis Hair Food Multi Masks. The range has four different ‘masks’ for either nourishing, protecting, repairing & smoothing. They’re affordable & well worth it. Keeping my lips hydrated in the winter always is a challenge in itself. At the moment I’m using Nivea’s Original Care Lip Balm but their Hydrocare Lip Balm is also another great one. If I’m looking for something a little more heavy duty then it’s definitely Carmex or Savex that I reach for. 

Sunscreen

Even on those dark & gloomy days, you need to remember to use sunscreen. I usually use SPF50+ & Neutrogena have a fantastic range of SPF for face & body. My favourite from them is them is their Ultra Sheer range which goes on easily, absorbs quickly & feels light-weight on the skin. 

Healthy Diet

I always feel like it’s easier to eat healthier in the warmer months. Endless amounts of fresh fruits & vegetables makes it so much easier to eat better but it the winter, there is none of that & I feel like we have to get a bit more creative with our food choices & meals. In the winter I make sure that my diet is rich in healthy fats such as avocado, nuts, coconut oil & seeds - these will also help keep your skin nourished & looking healthy. Omega 3 & Vitamin C supplements are also something you could consider as well. 

B x