Has anyone else been feeling quite lazy and motivated recently, or is it just me?

Everyone’s definition of self-care is different. However, we can all agree that self-care is about mental, physical, and emotional nourishment. Put yourself first: make some time for self-care! Your body will thank you later.

The Hard Truth:

Self-care and self-love aren’t always sunshine and rainbows, but the effort you put into loving and caring for yourself will make you feel like the sunshine and rainbows. Essentially, you get out of things what you put in. No one says this transition would be easy.

Habits do take a while to build so don’t beat yourself up about it if you’re not doing something the way you planned it. Unpredictable things happen in life, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t keep going and try.

This is exactly why the title of this post reads “Little Self Care Tips That Make A BIG Difference” not “Habits That You Should Have Now”. Your self-care can be achieved but it’s a slow and gradual process. I start off by sharing these small tips to implement that better prepare you for changing your habits.

So don’t read this post or watch videos on Youtube expecting some miracle guide to change your life. Even as I’m writing this, I’m also taking notes and implementing these tips into my routine. If you’re just getting started in this journey to better self-care, here are some simple tips to begin:

Clean your space

I can’t seem to function well if my room or work area is a mess. It will always be in the back of my mind and just cloud space in my head. I have to clean before I do anything.

Also, folding your clothes and organizing your things in a neat way can make a world of difference. I know most of us have the habit of just lazily throwing our clothes on a chair and laying down on our bed, but we need to change this if we want better peace of mind.

I challenge you to fold at least five items a day. Either that or you do everything else at once every blue moon. It’s better to do things gradually day by day instead of nothing at all. Over time, your room will be cleaned slowly but surely.

Simplify your skincare

For someone who is slowly starting to establish a skincare routine, using multiple products can be overwhelming. Now, I don’t necessarily advocate skipping out on things in your routine, but for someone who is slowly trying to establish one, the simpler the better. The basics, cleanser, serum, eye cream, are the most important. The rest will come later.

Step 1 – Cleanse:

Start off with splashing your face with some warm water and go in with your favorite cleanser. I recommend the soy face cleanser by fresh! This best-selling, 3-in-1 face wash helps gently cleanse and remove makeup while promoting moisture retention, elasticity, and firmness of your skin. It gets rid of impurities and balances the pH of your skin, which is extremely important. This lightweight, yet effective, formula smoothes and softens for a refreshed and radiant-looking complexion. All thanks to the cucumber extract, rose water, and amino-rich soy proteins. Also, this product is made without sulfates or parabens.

A cleanser for all skin types! Make sure to rinse with cold water when you’re done and pat your face dry. Never rub.

Step 2 – Hydrate:

Next, apply your favorite moisturizing serum, like the TruSkin Vitamin C Serum. Vitamin C blends with botanical hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, witch hazel, and jojoba oil to promote your skin’s response to signs of aging like brightness, wrinkles, and dark spots. Another bestseller that helps the appearance of brighter, fresher-looking skin.

This plant-based formula has no added synthetic colors, fragrances, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, PEGs, or GMOs. Active botanicals combine in a silky smooth anti-aging serum that can be used day or night.

Step 3 – Brighten under eyes:

This under-eye cream by Cerave helps reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness in the under-eye area. A brightening cream with a non-greasy finish that leaves under eyes looking hydrated, smooth, brightened, and more awake.

It’s formulated with hydrating ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, to help soothe skin and retain its moisture. With CeraVe’s patented MVE ingredient-delivery technology to continually release ingredients and provide lasting hydration.

And you’re done! It’s that easy ladies, no room for excuses.

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For a detailed guide on skincare, check out my other post: How To Do Your Morning Skincare Routine The Right Way | 5-Step Miracle Guide

Eat a healthy recipe

Eating healthy food is part of self-care. I don’t know about you but food always puts me in a great mood, the right foods that is. I’m talking about fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.

Nuts and seeds are also a great source of protein, fiber, and heart-healthy fats. 

Believe it or not, most spices even have more antioxidants than fruits and vegetables so using them in your food is a must. Herbs and spices can help reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels, strengthen the immune system, and boost cognitive function, among other things.

Our digestive health and nutritional health affects our brain health!

Rachel Kelly, a mental health advocate and author of The Happiness Diet.

We have to take care of our insides too, meaning watching what we eat. After all, as the saying goes, we are what we eat. So try to eat more cashews and walnuts and less added sugars and carbs.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to suck. Spice your dinners but with some of these 80+ healthy recipes by Delish. My favorite is the skinny alfredo 🙂 Let me know which one is yours in the comments.

Try acupressure + stretches

We all get stressed out once in a while and need breaks. At least twice or thrice a day.

Pressure points are known to be highly sensitive regions of the body. Acupressure assists in reducing pain, restoring balance, and promoting overall health.

I recently found out about acupressure and started incorporating it into my daily routine. It’s helped a bit, I find myself more relaxed afterward. There are around eight essential points in your hand that carry a lot of stress and tension. Healthline has a few articles that go through each pressure point and how to properly do acupressure. These are a few hand pressure points that I try to do on a daily.

Read an interesting book

Reading is essential. I wasn’t a big fan of reading before but once I got started, I couldn’t stop–unless I was stressed about school or other things. My current read is Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie. I highly recommend it!

Don’t like reading? You just haven’t found the right genre for you! There’s a wide variety of books out there for everyone. Take the quiz on Buzzfeed to see What Book Genre Is Your Personality?!

Join a book club so you stay motivated! There are plenty on Instagram that you can be a part of, just ask around. Put us on to some of your favorite clubs in the comments below!

Get into meditating

We all need time after a long and stressful day to unwind and relax.

Listen to some motivational podcasts to get you in the zone. I’m coming out with a post of my favorite podcasts, so stay tuned for that!

Not sure where to start?

The Headspace app has you covered! This new app -well new to me- helps you get started on your meditation journey. There’s even a 10-day beginner’s course that guides you through the essentials of meditation and mindfulness. It’ll lay a solid foundation for an effective self-reflection.

Headspace has one mission: to improve the health and happiness of the world. You can try Headspace for yourself and learn the essentials of meditation and mindfulness with our free Basics course. If you enjoy it, then it’s time to subscribe. Once you do, you’ll have bite-sized minis for when you’re short on time, exercises to add extra mindfulness to your day, and hundreds of meditations on everything from stress to sleep.

It’s available in the App Store and the Google Play store, for FREE. So what are you waiting for? Get started today.

Start journaling

After a long stressful day, all I want to do is wind down and reflect on my day. When I don’t feel like telling others what’s on my mind, I write it all down in my journal, aka my best friend at the moment.

It’s a habit we form that comes in handy when we’re stressed or simply not in the mood. And we don’t have to be too hard on ourselves if we don’t write every day. But, despite the ups and downs, the importance of journaling shines through when we persist with it.

Journaling can also be used as a way to keep track of your progress. There are times in our lives when we feel balanced and motivated, and we know what is most important to us. Sometimes we’re stressed and wonder what’s the point of it all.

I recommend drinking camomile tea while doing so to help you relax. This combination keeps me sane most days. It’s something I recommend you try.

If you want a post on beginner tips to journaling, let me know in the comments <3

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I hope this post was helpful!

With love, khaamisa