Life can be stressful, especially if you’re a salon suite owner. To decrease your stress levels, you might find yourself overwhelmed and looking for relief. That’s where self-care comes in. Many people are afraid to regularly practice self-care lest they seem “selfish,” but the reality is that self-care is absolutely vital to your health. Here are 10 must-haves you can add to your self-care routine today.
1. An Adequate Amount of Sleep: It might sound trite, but getting enough sleep is really important for your physical and mental health. Additionally, it’s difficult to look great if you’re exhausted and barely making it through the day. Make sure to get between seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. You can accomplish this by making your bedroom a peaceful oasis, using blackout curtains to reduce the amount of light your room gets, and diffusing essential oils like lavender or vanilla.
2. Meditation Time: Meditation is an effective and risk-free way to help boost your mood and improve your perspective. According to House Method, aim to meditate for a few minutes every day. Slowing down and taking deep breaths can help bring you back to center and focus on the important things.
3. Scheduled “You” Time: Many people grab their self-care time from wherever they can. This often means small spurts of time each day and inconsistent practices when it comes to keeping up with you and your health. While it can be difficult to carve time out of an already busy day, it’s very important to schedule consistent time to focus on you, even if that’s only 20 minutes or so. Use this time to do something that brings you joy—listen to a podcast, read a book, or consider taking a nice bubble bath.
4. Exercise: Exercise can get your endorphins flowing and keep your body healthy. Take a walk around the neighborhood and spend some time outside, especially if it’s sunny. You could also go to a cycling class or try Pilates at a local boutique studio.
5. Spa Days: While standing in the bathroom every day laboriously creating new hairstyles might not be your idea of fun, hair stylists probably find it significantly more entertaining. Having your hair done professionally can help boost your self-esteem and make you feel better about life in general. For an extra level of pampering, treat yourself to a mani-pedi. Just because you’re a salon owner and have a million things on your plate doesn’t mean you can’t indulge yourself every once in a while.
6. A Skincare Routine: While not everybody begins a skincare routine for beauty reasons, taking the time to care for your skin can be comforting and nurturing. Not only does it help you keep your appearance where you want it to be, but it also gives you time to relax and love yourself a little bit more. If you’re unsure of how to start treating your skin, a trip to a professional can help boost your desired efforts and outcomes.
7. Binges of Your Favorite TV Show: Take some time to indulge in your favorite TV show to help boost your mood and lower your anxiety. Even if you can only fit this in once or twice a week, you can make it part of your weekly self-care schedule.
8. Limited Technology Time: It’s normal these days for everyone to spend as much time as possible online, but that kind of stimulation can be bad for our moods and our minds. Take some time out and turn off your phone and computer for a few minutes every day. Also, be sure to not use your screen at least two hours before bed—if you do, the blue light emitted from your screens can impact your sleep quality and longevity.
9. Retail Therapy: Buying things for ourselves might be a practice that fell by the wayside, especially if you’re married or have children, but taking the time to buy something—even if it’s a new-to-you shirt from a consignment shop—can be a great addition to your self-care routine.
10. Yoga: If you’re hoping to improve your mind and body at the same time, give yoga a try. It’s a great, low-impact daily activity that helps you relax and build muscle at the same time. It’s also a wonderful exercise for people of any experience level, whether you’re a beginner or an expert.
Authored by Kay Pascale. Kay is a writer from Durham, NC. When she isn’t writing about home improvements or wellness topics, she loves to travel on the weekends, try out the local food scene, and go on runs with her dog.
