By: Heather Bien
When life gets busy, the first thing we often neglect is self care. Stress, obligations, and the needs of others crowd out the space reserved for taking care of our mental and physical well-being.
We get it. But self care is a critical component of your overall health. Without it, you may find yourself tossing and turning at night, massaging your clenched jaw after a long, stressful day, and missing appointments or neglecting important tasks.
Self care can come in different forms, such as living a healthy lifestyle, reciting positive affirmations, or even just getting adequate sleep. Taking a few minutes to yourself can help you recharge your mind, body, and spirit to help you take on a new day with positivity, self-compassion, and confidence. If you’re at a loss for what to do on a self care day, put on your comfiest outfit, turn off your phone notifications, and get ready to shower yourself with love and care using our top five ideas for a self care day.
What Are 5 Fun Ways to Take Care of Yourself on Your Next ‘Me’ Day?
Self care is meant to be a personal practice. To that end, spend your “me” time doing whatever feels best to you. The goals of self care include:
- Taking care of your physical health
- Protecting your mental well-being
- Allowing time to relax and enjoy your life
- Feeling like the wonderful person you are
You can even incorporate self care into your daily routine, whether it’s spending 15 minutes before you get out of bed gratitude journaling or taking your lunch break to embark on a long run that keeps you feeling strong, happy, and confident.
But sometimes, you may need to take a full day to deviate from your routine entirely. Erasing your normal obligations for a day allows you to rejuvenate your mind and body and focus on your needs.
#1: Fill Your Day with Nourishment
It's never too late to start practicing healthy habits. Part of self care is nourishing your body along with your soul. If you’re often too busy to take the time to prepare meals for yourself, this is an ideal opportunity.
Treat yourself with:
- Leisurely cups of coffee or tea in the morning
- A filling breakfast packed with vitamins and nutrients
- Warming soup and freshly baked bread for lunch or dinner
- An indulgent dessert, like that brownie-in-a-mug recipe you’ve always wanted to try
Focus on the pleasure your food brings you as you take each bite and allow yourself to indulge guilt-free.
#2: Try Something New
If you have a list of activities you’d try if you had the time, your self care day is the perfect time to check something off your list. Put on your favorite lounge top and make the day all about you. Take a walk down the main street and attend a class at your local yoga studio, watch a YouTube video on guided meditation, or summon your inner Picasso with a painting class in neoclassical portraits.
There are truly no limits! Check in with yourself and identify an activity that’ll feed your soul (and maybe even your body, too) like:
- Cooking classes taught by seasoned chefs
- Pilates sessions followed by a trip to the neighborhood smoothie shop
- Ceramics courses to craft your very own mug collection
- Meditation or drum circles
#3: Tackle That To-Be-Read Pile
If you’re seeking a day at home, nothing is more relaxing than settling in on your couch with a cup of tea and a good book. Get as cozy as possible with your favorite night dress and a fluffy blanket.
#4: Create a Home Spa
You don’t have to leave home to pamper yourself. You can give yourself a relaxing spa day with a few simple tools, such as:
- Scented candles
- A fluffy robe
- Fragrant bath bombs
- Soft music
- Warm towels
- Herbal te
You’ll find that you feel more calm and relaxed after you indulge in your home spa. This self care habit can be useful in lowering stress levels. So don a pair of bamboo pajama pants and indulge in your DIY spa.
#5: Get Outside
You don’t have to spend your self care day indoors. If you crave more fresh air and sunshine, then get outside. There are many activities you can do to recharge your batteries while enjoying the outdoors, including:
- Running
- Walking
- Hiking
- Goat yoga
- Bicycling
- Meditating
As a bonus, your comfy loungewear can move seamlessly from inside to outside, so you don’t even need to change your clothes.
How to Optimize Your Self Care Day
Once you’ve sifted through your self care day ideas and landed on the perfect one for you, it’s time to set yourself up for success. To optimize your self care day, you should:
- Wear comfy clothing – Think soft, loose loungewear that allows you to move freely. Lounge pants, soft leggings, fuzzy socks, cozy hoodies, smooth tees, and tanks—the possibilities are endless. There’s amazing loungewear available for every temperature and activity, so you’re sure to find something perfect for your ideal self care day. You might be wondering, “What is loungewear?”. Loungewear is the name for clothes that are somewhere in between sleepwear and athleisure.
- Avoid distractions – Turn off unnecessary phone notifications and avoid wasting time on social media during your self care day. Social media negatively impacts your mental health and leads to feelings of loneliness and unhealthy comparisons to others on your feed.1 A self care day should focus on helping you feel good about yourself.
- Craft the perfect atmosphere – Whatever your zen vibe is, incorporate it into your “me day.” Light some scented candles, open the windows for a burst of fresh air, or turn up the classical music and let it all wash over you.
- Clear your calendar – Unless part of your self care day involves an activity with a friend, don’t schedule anything that day. Even a quick work call or dentist appointment can detract from the purpose of your day: rest and relaxation.
Remember, your self care day is all about you. Don’t feel guilty for setting aside the time you need.
Treat Yourself to Style and Comfort With Boody Eco Wear
Practicing self care is a must for overall health. Your brain and body need time to relax and disconnect from the daily grind. Set aside an entire day for yourself and fill it with the things you love.
But to really maximize your self care enjoyment, you have to be comfy!
At Boody Eco Wear, we make soft, comfortable, and sustainable loungewear perfect for any self care day activity you dream up. Our clothing is made from bamboo viscose and organic cotton for a fit you can feel good about. We have a range of clothes made out of eco-friendly materials, such as our athleisure collection and sustainable bamboo loungewear collection. Love yourself freely in Boody Eco Wear.
About the Author:
Heather Bien is a copywriter and writer based in Washington, DC. She works with retail, ecommerce, and creative brands on their website copy and digital presence, and her freelance writing has appeared on MyDomaine, Apartment Therapy, The Everygirl, and more. When she's not with laptop and coffee in hand, you'll find her planning her next weekend getaway, working on her budding green thumb, or scouting for her next great vintage find.
Sources:
- "What Do We Mean By Self-Care?" World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/self-care-interventions/definitions/en/
- Berryman, Chloe et al. “Social Media Use and Mental Health among Young Adults.” The Psychiatric quarterly vol. 89,2 (2018): 307-314. doi:10.1007/s11126-017-9535-6
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In order to combat these common pests, conventional cotton is routinely sprayed with a veritable salad-dressing of pesticides, many of which can remain in the soil and water supply for years afterward. Cotton harvesting requires defoliation – In order to quickly and efficiently harvest cotton, many commercial growers use chemical defoliants to strip the leaves from the cotton plant prior to harvesting the bolls. Like pesticides, these chemicals remain in the environment and on the cotton itself. Is organic cotton better? All of those cotton factoids point pretty compellingly to buying and wearing organic cotton fabric. But first, it’s important to understand what sets this organic alternative apart. Why exactly is “organic” cotton anyway? You might associate the word organic with your healthy fruits and veggies, but it’s not always clear what this term means when it comes to cotton. 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But when it comes to plant-derived textiles, the ones which help us create a healthier world are always a better alternative. Explore the benefits of bamboo with Boody Whether you choose to purchase conventional or organic cotton clothing, the fact that you are shopping mindfully for yourself is a win for the environment. At Boody, we believe in bringing you quality, comfy, sustainable clothing basics that keep you feeling good about yourself and your personal impact on Mother Earth. From our sleepwear to our loungewear, women’s bamboo shirts to our underwear, sustainable and ethical are our touchstones. Our clothing is made of bamboo viscose, requiring less water than cotton while putting precious oxygen back into the environment. That just feels good, doesn’t it? Explore the bamboo benefits today, with Boody. Sources: Britannica. Cotton. https://www.britannica.com/topic/cotton-fibre-and-plant Cotton. The Story of Cotton - Where Cotton Grows. https://www.cotton.org/pubs/cottoncounts/story/where.cfm World Wildlife Federation. Cotton. https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/cotton Textile Exchange. Quick Guide to Organic Cotton. https://textileexchange.org/quick-guide-to-organic-cotton Soil Association. What is organic cotton? https://www.soilassociation.org/take-action/organic-living/fashion-textiles/organic-cotton/ USDA. Conservation and Biological Diversity in Organic Production. https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2016/02/29/conservation-and-biological-diversity-organic-production About the Author: Heather Bien is a copywriter and writer based in Washington, DC. She works with retail, ecommerce, and creative brands on their website copy and digital presence, and her freelance writing has appeared on MyDomaine, Apartment Therapy, The Everygirl, and more. 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