5 Easy Self Care Practices Anyone Can Start Today

Thank you to Micro Cotton® for sponsoring this post!

Lately, I’ve found myself reading through a few articles on self care, and while the premise of these all sound great, having a baby and a young child has all but made the idea of self care unattainable. I started to think there should be different lists for different people depending on their season of life, and since I’m falling into the chaotic season of life category, I wanted to share 5 easy *attainable* things we can all start doing today to have better self care practices.

When you start feeling like you have zero time for yourself it begins to take its toll, especially when you have little people that need you all the time on top of your regular responsibilities. I found myself feeling a bit cynical at the whole self care movement because all these lists felt so far out of reach for myself. While getting a babysitter so I can go to yoga, meet up with friends and being away by myself for more than an hour to self reflect (if at all!) sounds fantastic, it’s not something I can realistically be able to do regularly. It left me with a negative outlook on the whole thing, because finding a babysitter is HARD, leaving the house is HARD- but 10 minutes at the beginning and end of the day? I can handle that. I started implementing my own easy self care practices and made a mental commitment to remember to do these things, plus indulge myself with a few simple mood boosters along the way.

Take a morning walk. I know with busy school and work schedules it may seem impossible, but if you can I highly recommend this as it’s made such a big difference to my days. There’s something about a cool brisk walk in the morning that starts the day off right. Ever since I started doing this I’ve felt a lot better and noticed the baby does really well with a walk at this time of day as well. There have actually been days when it’s raining that our morning walk gets postponed and it has thrown this positive start to our day off! Needless to say, I will keep doing this as long as the weather allows!
Refining a skin care routine and sticking with it. The key is in the repetition because it makes it easier to stick to, and this in turn helps me feel like I am taking some extra time to care for myself. If you are looking for an easy skincare routine here is a quick breakdown of mine: On days I wear makeup, I double cleanse (for some reason this is KEY for me to want to wash my face, I can’t explain it). Use a cream or oil based cleanser as your first wash so you won’t overdry your skin. I love this cream face wash that I started to use when I was pregnant, followed by this gel face wash to really get all your makeup off. In the evening after washing, I apply this serum then reach for this under eye cream and this face cream. Rinse and repeat!
Getting yourself new, *soft*, towels. This one is so easy to overlook, but once you have these towels you will be so happy you did this!! The state of our old towels was brought to my attention when we were moving this summer, I noticed that most had seen better days and were feeling pretty rough. I realized if I’m making the effort for my skincare I probably shouldn’t be using rough towels, especially on my face! I love the Hotel Collection Ultimate Micro Cotton® bath linens , available at Macy’s, because not only are they two times more plush than other towels with the same weight, they have been tested and found free of hundreds of chemicals and known allergens—so they’re safe even for delicate skin. They are crafted to minimize lint and pill and come in lots of great colors! I have the oat and ivory as they are really great neutrals to add to my linen closet. There’s something really luxurious feeling about getting out of the shower and wrapping up with fresh new towels. Plus, they just feel and work better with absorbance in general!
Have a cup of chamomile tea before bed. I told you these were easy, right? A month or so ago I felt myself getting sick so I made it a point to have some herbal tea before each evening. It made me feel so much better and I wondered why I was only doing this when I didn’t feel well, so I made it a point to do each night! I personally get tired of drinking enough water throughout the day but a cup of tea before bed is a nice way to catch up on getting hydrated. And there is just something nice about slowing sipping a hot drink for 5 minutes to unwind. This is my favorite tea organizer that I leave in my cabinet, I love that I can organize all the different flavors and see them even when it’s closed.
Indulge in something small that makes you happy, for me it’s having fresh flowers in the house. They are an instant mood booster and are something pretty to look at, so why not? I will usually grab a bunch of flowers when I’m already out shopping, the ones in these photos are from Trader Joe’s, they have such a great selection and are relatively inexpensive compared to other places. Another great option and trend I’ve noticed more and more are flowers supplied from local farmers at the market, or a store may be carrying local bouquets. I’ll tend to pick one of these up whenever I get the chance.