The Importance Of Self-Care

I’ve been sick. Like really sick. And I don’t mean writers block kind of sick. I mean I’ve had lack of self-care, which led me to complete isolation from any social media platform for weeks. I know a lot of you have been curious as to when I was going to upload another blog post; and to be honest I was questioning the same thing. I’m sure some of you even thought I was done with the whole creative influencer, blogger, and “fake” occupation thing all together. And unfortunately for that population — you’re wrong. I love my current and future followers too much to quit cold turkey. But before I jump back into Who What Wear’s and NYFW Preparation Tips, I want to lay down a foundation not just for myself, but also for all of you. This foundation is all, and just about, the importance of self-care.

Thank goodness I have such loving parents and an amazing boyfriend who have been taking care of me the past several weeks. Even for those that are extremely independent, support systems can be beneficial and in some cases are necessary. Who is your support system? Are they people you trust whole-heartedly? I know those seem like obvious questions, but take the time to ask yourself and if you don’t have a support system it may just be time to get one.

Take Your Vitamins.

Remember when you were younger and your parents made you eat your vegetables as drink your milk before you left the dinner table? Or when you tried to steal more than one Flintstone multivitamin gummy because they tasted more like fruit snacks then actual medicine? Taking your daily vitamins follows that same concept. Even though you may feel fine, your body probably needs that extra boost of biotin, calcium, and potassium in the morning. If not, that’s fine! The good thing about vitamins is that they’re soluble. Meaning that your body only takes what it needs.

Hydrate.

While drinking the recommended amount of water bottles daily based on your weight and activity level is a good base to start from, it’s not always necessarily true. The key is to know that those figures are “recommended”. At the end of the day, you know your body better than anyone else. You need more water? Drink more. And same thing goes for those that may feel like a walking water tank. Take it easy and listen to your body!

Never Speak Bad About Yourself.

I am the creator of this. When I’m feeling low or have low spiritual energy, I catch myself speaking poorly about myself. I understand firsthand that it’s easy to speak low of yourself when you’re feeling nothing less than that. But just like they say, what you believe is what will become. Your mind is the most powerful thing on this earth. You must believe that you can and will tackle anything that comes your way. Because if YOU don’t believe in you, who else will?

Let Go Of What You Can’t Control.

Spoiler alert: you will face disappointments! But that’s okay because that’s part of life. There are triumphs and there are sorrows. As human beings, we lack the ability to unconsciously forgive and forget. We are naturally conceited creatures (some more than others) and take a bigger hit from things that don’t go our way. Understand that in order to move forward in life, you have to let go of things out of your control. The sooner you realize this, the better.

Carry The Essentials.

Business Insider says, “Magazine editors love to preach which mascara or lipstick women should pack in their purse, but, honestly, that kind of advice never helped anyone. If you wear makeup, you know what cosmetics you need when you're on the go.” I completely agree! Every woman carries things that cater to their specific needs. While there are staple pieces every woman seems to haul around with them day-to-day, it varies based on your specific needs. Below are the things I carry with me in my bag that I find essential, as they are lifesavers!

• Wallet: how else would I buy my overpriced Starbucks coffee
• Chapstick: at the moment it’s the Vaseline Lip Therapy Original
• Perfume: Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black and Gucci Guilty (travel size of course)
• Headphones: for those long subway rides (when I’m traveling)
• Medicine: Advil and any other meds I may need
• Hair ties
• Healthy snack: typically fruit snacks or a granola bar
• Sunglasses: Raybans or Gucci
• Portable charger: I HATE when my phone dies especially when I’m running errands
• Stain eraser: Tide to-go has saved me one too many times
• Lotion: Gold Bond Ultimate Healing
• Hand sanitizer: any fresh scented one from Bath & Body Works
• Gum: typically Stride (mint flavor)
• Tissue

Know that self-care isn’t selfish. You can’t serve from an empty vessel. You need to be able to take care of yourself before you take care of anyone else. Protect your schedule. I understand that sometimes that things come up which require you to shorten your “me time” and cater to other things, but make sure to not constantly jeopardize the time that you dedicate for yourself. Kristin from Lifehacker says, “Taking care of your basic physical and emotional needs should really be the backbone for getting stuff done, but ironically, self care is usually the first thing to go.” And sadly she’s right. Don’t be a part of that statistic. Until next time…