Naima Karp
Many of us have had to miss out on our usual spa appointments and massages because of COVID-19, leaving many of us with lots of stress and no way to relieve it. Whether you’re taking on extra hours at work or your mental health is taking a beating in this pandemic, we suggest making your own self-care kit at home. Here are the top essentials that you can’t miss.
A Guilty Pleasure Read
There’s a time to educate yourself, and it’s not now! This is the time to create a vacation within your inner mind. Find a book that you entirely enjoy – we’re not judging. Whether it’s a new YA novel, a juicy murder mystery, or a romance book, it should transport you to another world and let you escape from the daily chaos.
Your Favorite Beauty Essentials
Just because the spa is closed doesn’t mean you have to opt-out of spa days! Add candles, rose petals, and some tantalizing bath bombs to your bathroom and create a romantic night in with yourself. Drop some lavender essential oils into a bubble bath, and as the steam nourishes you, perhaps apply a face mask. Follow up with nourishing and hydrating body products.
Earplugs, an Eye Mask, and Your Bed
Turn off all electronics and lights. Calm the senses and meditate in a homemade sensory deprivation pod, focusing on your breathing. This will create a meditative environment that makes it easier to reduce the inner chatter of your mind, and the outside factors of stress and anxiety.
A Cup of Tea
Drinking a hot cup of tea is automatically comforting, but there’s something about the process of making the tea that’s mindful in itself. Pouring water into your cup, watching steam rise, and taking small sips are all acts of mindfulness that remind you to be in the present.
Cozy, Plush Fabrics
Dress in your coziest pajamas or sweats paired with fuzzy socks – a weighted blanket also does wonders. If you want to spend time in nature, dress for the weather and bring a snuggly blanket to wrap yourself in as you connect to the earth beneath you.
Positive Podcasts
Whether you decide to enact your self-care at home or outside, put in your headphones and play some positive podcasts. If hearing someone speak isn’t empowering to you, compile a calming playlist, and enjoy the tranquil music instead.
Notebook and Pen
Writing down your feelings and journaling your experience can be just as therapeutic as a therapy session, and a lot cheaper. We tend to stuff down our feelings, especially when work and responsibilities come up. Taking a moment to acknowledge your feelings, and getting that out on paper, can be truly cathartic. You can also write about your dreams.
Photos of Family, Friends, Pets, or Mementos
Looking at pictures of your loved ones, or even postcards of places that carry meaning can do wonders for your mental health! Take a trip down memory lane and celebrate the support systems in your life. Then, take a moment to think about what those people love about you – celebrating yourself is just as important.
Benefits of Self-Care
Utilizing everything in this DIY self-care kit will help you regain peace and balance in life. It will allow you the very necessary space and time you need to completely relax. It will help your mind, body, and soul reach harmony and reduce the stress and anxiety that’s been so rampant this year. Be calm, be present, and prioritize self-care!
