You Do You

After realizing how lazy I’ve been these past few months, I decided I need to focus on taking care of myself. Of course, I always make sure I eat, get enough sleep, and keep myself alive, but I don’t necessarily give myself proper self-care. So, after dealing with bouts of irritability and a lack of motivation, I decided to discover the true cause of these feelings.

After analyzing myself, I accomplished that goal. Basically, I learned the source of my troubles stems from not taking my much-needed “me time.” Instead, I became so consumed with making sure everyone else around me was taken care of and doing well. So, I would wake up, get ready for work, go to work, come home, cook dinner, and then fall asleep on the couch by 8pm. Every time this happened I would wake up, mad at myself for not being more productive. I could list all the things I wanted to do that night, but none of them got done. Unfortunately, this cycle continued to repeat itself.

To change this habit, I made a plan to mark down every time I practice self-care. This has really helped me stay focused and hold myself accountable. It does not take a lot of extra time or effort to do something for myself each night, and so far, I have really been feeling the benefits of it. Overall, I feel a lot happier and more focused. Plus, I’ve even been much more productive with my time!

Now, I want to share my self-care practices in order to help some of you potentially overcome a similar stuggle:

1. Do a face mask every night – I have a giant mask collection, so it was nice to be able to dig through them and pick out some I really like to use. I have been rotating between a detoxifying mask and a hydrating mask every other night, and the glow they give my skin is well worth it!
2. Use body lotion after I shower – Okay, this tip might be a no-brainier for a lot of people, but it’s a step I always skip because “I don’t have time for it.” Seriously though, it takes no more than five minutes and is worth every minute because my skin finally feels hydrated.
3. Only eat out once a week – Kody and I eat out quite a bit, but, in my defense, I do not want to come home and cook something after working all day. However, eating out so much makes me feel like garbage: bloated and full of grease. So, I am trying to cook more or head to the salad bar rather than a burger joint.
4. Get in more steps – I have become very lax this winter in getting outside and walking around — it’s just too cold to do anything! Luckily it is starting to feel more like spring, so I am able to get back out there and walk Pepper again. I have been trying to walk her every night after we eat dinner (because it’s also staying light out longer, yay!). Just getting outside and throwing on a podcast while I let Pepper smell is making me feel a lot better and helps me de-stress after a long day at work.
5. Read more – I have purposefully been trying to make more time to read during my day. To do so, I read in the mornings before I head in to work and during my lunch breaks. It’s been a nice escape as well as a great way for me to relax and get my mind off of things for a while.

I encourage you all to try doing at least one of these tips each day. Or, come up with your own self-care practices — the possibilities are endless!

Here’s to doing you!

Molly

Credits//Author: Molly Adamczyk. Photography: Molly Adamczyk Copy Editor: Ashley Adamczyk