October 22, 2017
Structured. Routine. Habitual. Those are words I would use to describe my personality.
Throughout my adult life, it has become increasingly evident to me that I’m the type of person who works best on a schedule. Partially because I’m somewhat of an obsessive personality & partially because I know that routine = consistency, and consistency leads to success. Lucky for me these personality traits have shown particularly useful to my work life. I thrive on creating/overseeing/organizing processes & procedures that lead to a proficiency in the work place & those abilities have helped me grow my career and for that I’m grateful.
So while these traits have been great assets for my employment, the same can’t really be said for my personal life. I’ve had trouble developing consistent habits in my non-work life and, truthfully, I believe part of the problem is that we are living in the age of information overload. We are constantly taking in information while the trends/studies are constantly changing. Within 24 hours one can see an article telling us that the best morning routines consist of a workout & smoothie, while the next might say it’s best to workout in the evening & avoid smoothies completely. This all becomes overwhelming & can leave you questioning what is not only true, but what we should be doing daily to lead our best lives. And for a while I was trying to do it all. Workout, meditate, read, listen to a podcast, spend time with love ones, and the fact of the matter is- there isn’t always enough time in a day. And I was causing myself stress trying to fit it all in.
To clarify- When I use the term Self-care, I don’t just mean taking a bath & treating yourself. I mean doing things each day that give you the platform to live your best life, mentally & physically. Creating habits & practices that bring you benefit.
In high school, I wanted to be the type of person who had a skin care routine. I wanted to wash my face every night & put on lotion before bed. Simple enough right? Well I forced it for days, weeks. Some nights I would forget & crawl back out of bed just to do it because I was “supposed to do it”. I continued a similar pattern through my dieting/workout stages of life, I was forcing these actions because someone else was telling me it was the “right thing to do”. I avoided spending time with loved ones just because I was determined to fit in a workout, even though it was the last thing on Earth I wanted to do. Looking back on it, these were obsessive habits that I was only doing because someone else had told me I should be doing them.
I still struggle with the obsessions. I no longer get my info from Cosmopolitan and Women’s health like I once did, but now I am influenced by holistic nutritionist, podcasts & bloggers that get my mind thinking that I have to jump on the latest trend of body brushing 3 times a week, or drinking a bulleproof matcha every morning. Just like intuitive eating, reshaping my mindset to silence outside influences when it comes to self care & health habits, has been a constant practice. I am trying to teach myself to take in information, process it, and ask myself if it is information I can benefit from. Rather than just making the assumption that trend or habit is a good fit for me & my lifestyle.
While I would love to consistently have the time to get 8 hours of sleep, workout, read, meditate, spend time outside, spend time with family & friends, make money, etc on a daily basis. I have come to terms with the fact that life is about prioritizing. I’m waking up each day & asking myself what feels good THAT day – no longer do I feel the need to be a slave to routine. And in recent months, selfcare has changed from workouts to more mindful practices & to be honest it changes constantly. Just as we go through different seasons of life, or habits will change & I’m allowing myself to come to terms with that. I have a handful of things I rely on currently & whatever else filters in or out I’m okay with:
- 8 hours of sleep
- Walks with my dog
- Face masks
In the last year, I have started applying face masks 2-3 times a week. Its a simple pleasure that helps me feel like I’m de-stressing (even if its totally in my head). It’s a practice that takes no effort but makes me feel like a million bucks after a hard day. I used to turn to wine, and now I turn to White & Elm! White & Elm is a natural cosmetics company that creates skin care products to enhance the skin of it’s users. I have been using their products for a while now & recently found out they are local to Fort Collins! I came upon White & Elm when i was trying to convert to more natural beauty products & after trying too many to count, I can honestly say that White & Elm’s masks are my favorite. Throw in the fact that their products are 100% vegan and you’ve got a slam dunk in my book. Personally, I rotate their 4 masks throughout the week to balance my skin – my current go-to is their Exfoliating Enzyme mask. It leaves my skin feeling wonderfully hydrated & fresh, none of that “film-y” feeling that some other skincare products leave you with. Treating myself to a face mask is a stress-free routine that’s easy, relaxing, and a treat for both the mind & the body, and White & Elm has been a welcome addition to my current routine!
Luckily for me White & Elm is local & I can hit up their retail store, but if you don’t have that luxury then you can order online! Use my Affiliate code to get 10% off your order: Altitude10
I am not qualified to give advice and I would actually be a little hypocrytical to tell you what I think is best for your routine. But here is what I know: Self care is important, self care looks different for everyone, self care can be simple or it can be complex. It’s most important to love & care for yourself first, so you have give the world your best being. So take the time, listen to soul & take some time to be happy!
