9 Soothing Ways to Practice Self-Care
Do you get tired and run down from talking to all the people and doing all the things too? Do you want to run away and hide for a while? My best friend has a hole (a metaphorical one just in case you were wondering,) and I ask her if I can borrow it every once in a while.
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.”
―J.R.R. Tolkien,The Hobbit
Life is often difficult and overwhelming. When you get tired of choosing your hard, if you don’t have a hole you can hide in, I’ve got some ways you can create your own.
Create your cozy hole with texture.
It doesn’t have to be winter to do this or to make your environment cozy. Even light fabrics still have texture. Like that soft, flowy tank top or cool satin sheets. Find clothes you like the feel of, blankets and pillowcases that are soft, or weighted blankets that make you feel less anxious.
Warm Baths
Take a warm bath with Epsom salts, bath oils, or bubbles to relax your muscles and calm your mind.
Tea Time
Whether you take your tea like Elizabeth Bennet or a hobbit, or you prefer a coffee fika like the Swedes, it’s a wonderful thing to take an afternoon breather.
Aromatherapy
Find your favorite essential oils that make you feel calm and use them in a bath, roller ball, massage oil, steam facial or inhaler.
Comfort Foods
Eating my favorite comfort foods always makes me feel better. Today I made rice and fried tacos with chicken, cheese, and spinach. My teenager’s favorite comfort foods are mac and cheese and split pea soup. My youngest loves yogurt. What’s your favorite?
Mindful Eating
When I’m in a cruddy mood, I love potatoes. Any way you want to make it, I will eat it. Maybe I am a hobbit. Or maybe it’s because potatoes are a carbohydrate, and carbohydrates can increase the production of serotonin. Whatever it is that you like, Slow down and savor the flavors, textures, and smells of your food to engage your senses which can help you relax.
Exercise
Engage in gentle movement practices l to relax your body and mind. I like to sit with my legs up the wall at night for a while to stretch.
Take a Walk outdoors
Take a walk outdoors and focus on the sights, sounds, and sensations around you to ground yourself in the present moment. One of the reasons I love the place I live is the birds. Sometimes I feel like I have an aviary in my yard.
Nature Sounds
There are many places you can listen to the sounds of nature without going on a walk outdoors. I have a noise machine by my bed that I use at night and listen to the rain. However, it does have noises for the day such as birds.