Self Care in Under 10 Minutes

Does anyone else find it interesting that in some ways, we’ve all been given more time than ever, but in other ways, accomplishing anything significant during a single day feels impossible? On one hand, we’ve been given a plethora of flexibility in our schedules, but on the other, we’ve been inundated with constant distractions whether those be real responsibilities (i.e. homeschooling), or genuinely enticing opportunities (i.e. afternoon naps).

It’s no surprise that when things get busy, or just downright weird, the first thing that goes out the window is our focus on self-care. As moms, we often put ourselves last on our list of priorities, and sometimes it can even sound like a good idea to ‘let ourselves go’ simply because we can. It can feel liberating. I mean, who are we trying to impress, anyway, right?

The reality, though, is that when we’re not taking care of ourselves in the small ways, our emotions are directly effected. While our intent is to keep the pajama pants on everyday in an effort to relax during high stress times, we might instead be increasing our likelihood to experience feelings of depression or anxiety.

What I’ve put together for you today are three suggestions for taking care of yourself in the small ways each day in an effort to improve your mindset. The beauty of this is that it doesn’t require carving out time for a bubble bath, a binge-worthy TV show, or a long walk by yourself outdoors (although, if you can fit those things in, I do highly recommend each of them). My suggestions won’t take more than 10 minutes a day and they’ll serve as signals to your brain that “you’ve got this.”

Take Care of Your Skin

Anyone else noticing all the wrinkles they didn’t know they had until they stopped wearing makeup everyday? No? Just me? Quarantine has made me very quickly aware of all the preventative care I should have been doing before I turned 35, but that’s a monologue for another day.

Even if you’re not raising your hand right now, I want to encourage you to find a new skin care product that you love and that makes you feel refreshed and vibrant. Treat yo’ self In this small way, and you’ll be letting yourself know that your well being matters too. Maybe it’s a new face wash, a new body scrub, or a new hand lotion. Anyone who is currently clawing themselves out of a cold winter and into spring knows that our dry skin could use a little extra TLC, amiright?

If you’re looking for a new product line to try out, we would love to recommend a fellow Akron-born company, OY-L, an independent line of 100% natural luxury skin care products who’s plant-based formulations were created to fight toxins, protect families and empower beauty.

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Apply One Fave Makeup Product

Whether you usually wear makeup or not, my guess is that there’s not much of a daily routine happening right now unless you’re gearing up for a Zoom call. What I’ve found helps me keep an uplifted mindset when I’m in low-maintenance mode, is to pick simply one product that I apply each day. A splash of mascara, blush, or eyeliner can go a long way when you need to lift your mood. Better yet, pop a simple lip gloss in your pocket and reapply throughout the day for your small dose of glam.

Put on Real Pants

I know, I know, your leggings are SO comfortable. Bear with me here. First of all… if you’re not trying your jeans on at least every few days, you might be unpleasantly surprised when its time to go out into the world again and you realize the waistband has shrunk during quarantine. 😉 But more importantly, putting on some jeans in the morning will give you a sense of normalcy and set your brain up for a productive day. Not feelin’ it? Go ahead and switch back to your PJs by noon, but at least give them a shot to get your day started on the right foot in those first few hours.

Food for Thought

As I prepped for this blog, I found myself thinking a lot about how we women will be the first to say that we wear makeup and dig fashion because it makes us feel good and gives us an opportunity to express ourselves, not because we’re trying to impress others. But as soon as we got stuck inside of our homes, we turned it all off.

If we actually do believe that we get dressed and put makeup on each day for ourselves and not only to impress those around us, then I challenge you to continue to show up for yourself whether the world is looking your direction or not.