Self Care Practices - Emily Lee (and associated artwork)

Self Care Practices - Emily Lee

When I woke up today, I went about my daily morning routine as usual. I listened to one of my all time favorite podcasts, Optimal Living Daily, on Spotify. Today's particular podcast talked about how dedicating short, consistent time periods to self-love practices are ultimately more rewarding than sporadic bursts … that stuck with me.

Why has the concept of a "vacation" been normalized? Vacation: the only time people treat themselves to Michelin star restaurants, the only time in which it’s okay to ignore the existence of calories, the only time where we can completely drain our mind of the stress of everyday life, the only time where we pull out our sun dresses. But why does it take a holiday, occasion, or so-called “vacation” to enjoy yourself and show yourself the love, care, and relaxation you've been craving?

In the past, I wouldn't spend a single penny on outside food if I was by myself. If it was just me, myself, and I, then why would I bother buying myself that overpriced açaí bowl I've been craving if I could eat the leftover panda express in my fridge? However, if I was with my friends or a significant other, I wouldn't even hesitate to pay $10 for an uber to eat a $20 bowl of noodles. I would rarely try new activities on my own or go places I'd always wanted to visit — it never crossed my mind since time and money would have felt wasted if I was the only one enjoying myself. I see it a lot in my friends, too.

My friend works at a boba shop, and I was hanging with her on one of her days off. We went on a boba run to a different shop, and she told me she would "splurge" and buy herself boba. When we got back into our car to drive home, she stared blankly into space and said, "Why did I buy this? I feel so wasteful. I could literally get boba for free." I asked her, "Would you ever be filled with regret if you bought your friend boba?" She said no, yet the answer was not so obvious at first.

Normalize self care. Make it a routine. We should be investing more time and money taking care of ourselves than we do for our best friend or partner. Yet, for most of us, we're too lazy to do so. We don't want to make the effort. But loving oneself takes effort. Just as it takes consistent, conscious efforts to buy your partner flowers and gifts or drop off meals to make them feel loved, the same holds true for yourself. If you are seeking to love yourself but you constantly deprive yourself of the things your body and mind most craves, then you will remain stagnant.

Be consistent with your self care practices! Dedicate 20 to 30 minutes everyday to a self care practice. A self care practice can be trying something new that you've always wanted to try-anything from learning to play a new instrument or building a computer from scratch … learning anything seems attainable these days with the internet! And once you've found that hobby, or perhaps a new sport that makes you forget about the fact that you have a crap ton of schoolwork or a really rude boss, invest in it. Personally, when I paint and produce artwork that I'm proud of, my self esteem boosts tenfold. My creative potential is constantly buried underneath my daily work and school schedule of filling out worksheets or writing formulated essays. It's insane what our minds can turn into reality … the creativity that can exist within a girl who spent the first month of quarantine on a vicious cycle of waking up, eating, napping, and sleeping. Don't deprive yourself by letting your creative potential rot away!

Some self care practices that have worked for me have included painting, meditation, practicing yoga, walking around my neighborhood, listening to podcasts, doing my nails, playing the piano, singing, working out, experimenting with bold makeup looks, and even starting a blog. Just remember, when you start a self care practice, be driven by the desire to relax your mind and feed your soul. Actively drag your mind back into your self care activity if you feel those negative thoughts arising in your head telling you that you're wasting time … because you're not. Self care is an investment with high reward: stress relief, mental stimulation, and ultimately a heightened sense of self love.