Summer is arguably the best season of the year for people’s moods, energy and self care…wait…between the kids’ soccer tournaments, prepping for the cottage, the millions of promised dinner parties (that always tend to get left to the summer) and the weddings—who has time for self care?!
At Enlighten Laser and Skin Care Clinics, we understand how busy summer can be but we also understand the importance of consistently making time for self care.
What is self care?
Self care is for you and provided by you. By identifying your own needs and taking the time to nurture yourself with activities that make you feel good, you can improve both your mental and physical health. Everyone’s versions of self care differ slightly depending on what they enjoy doing.
How do I define my version of self care?
Filling in the following blanks will help you have a better understanding of what activities truly make you feel good: I feel best after I _________. I become motivated when I _________. I wish I had more time for _________. I need to finish _________so I can _________ without feeling guilty.
Three Tips For Incorporating Self Care
- Book in time with yourself weekly. Plan your self care time in advance. We all know how days can turn into weeks and you still haven’t taken time to have that bath you talked about taking last month. Choose a day and time that is consistently available to you. We love self care Sundays or Mondays because it sets the tone intention for the week; however if those are busy days for you, go with what suits your schedule. Self care doesn’t have to take an entire day or even hours. The quality of the time you set a for yourself is more important the the quantity; so if you have 20 minutes to read a book in bed you’ve been wanting to finish for months with absolutely no distractions, that is better than two hours of going to a yoga class and sauna that you don’t thoroughly enjoy.
- If you can, combine your self care time with another thing on your to-do list. This might seem counterproductive but for many of us, our to-do list weighs us down (even if we truly want to do the things on our list such as see friends or go to the gym). By finding ways to combine two things such as working out and seeing friends, you can feel that much better afterwards.
- Cut yourself some slack. Just because your self care didn’t start at 6PM on Sunday evening, doesn’t mean you can’t find time for self care during the evening or on Monday. The last thing you want your self care schedule to do is stress you out—that’s literally the opposite of what we are trying to accomplish. You do not have to be done all your laundry, grocery shopping or emails to deserve self care.
Four Self Care Activities We Love (Plus the Science Behind Them)
- Drinking wine while listening to music. This might sound odd but listening to music while you sip on a class a wine (maybe with a candle burning) allows you to appreciate both the music and the wine more. Not to mention wine supports healthier skin, supports longevity of life, strengthens bones and a plethora of other benefits that can make you feel good about decorking.
- Book a massage. This is the perfect activity for those who find self care very difficult to schedule in at home. Massages provide an hour to two hours of total relaxation. Massages can release endorphins (similar of those following exercise), improve sleep, reduce anxiety and has about 50 other amazing benefits.
- Go for a walk outside. Not only does walking trim down your waistline but being outside is proven to increase moods immensely. Walking regularly can help manage good blood pressure, reduce your risk of cancers, improve your sex life and boost your energy. We love catching up with our favourite podcasts during long walks!
- Take care of your skin. This simple act of self care can improve your confidence, self worth and open up a world of new opportunities. Wrinkles, fine lines, brown spots, acne, and acne scars can cause self doubt and even incline you to skip out on opportunities, both professional and personal. Canada’s Skin Care Experts at Enlighten Laser and Skin Care Clinics believe that everyone deserves to put their best face forward. We offer the most advanced technology and treatments on the market to help our clients achieve confidence and beautiful skin daily. From the moment you step into an Enlighten Laser Clinic, our team strives to ensure you have the most relaxing experience possible. Our favourite treatments for self care are our Syneron Candela SR/SRA treatments for sun damage, AC treatments for acne, Sublime skin tightening, Sublative skin rejuvenation, customized facials and photorejuvenation. To help our clients manatain the results achieved at Enlighten Laser, we offer DerMed products, the Advanced Nutrition Program and Jane Iredale Skincare Makeup. To learn more about any of these services, click here.
Self care is about more than taking a bubble bath, it’s about feeding your soul and your confidence so you can be successful in all areas of your life. To learn more about how Enlighten Laser and Skin Care Clinics can help book in your self care and keep you accountable, book your no-obligation consultation at one of our nine locations today.
