The Night Spa — A Self-Care Ritual
Haircut, shower, massage, screaming in the woods alone — self-care looks different to everyone. In the early months of the year, people tend to set goals for themselves, which are typically big goals like saving X amount of money for X or getting that promotion at work. But I think too often in the hustle and bustle of the new year we forget to add smaller goals like self-care to our list. I love self-care. I mainly love it so much because I am the type of person who gives 110% in all my pursuits. At the end of the day, I am usually completely spent. I have given every last ounce of myself to my son, my husband, our home, my many jobs, and I could just collapse from exhaustion.
Once my son is in bed, the night is my time. I think a lot of moms of young children feel this way, but it is truly the only time I have all day to just focus on me. I usually start off my night with a cup of tea and some reading. Then I head to the “night spa.” The “night spa” you might ask? I love to pamper myself at night. I’ll take a shower or a bath and fill it with all the goodies — yummy salts and bubbles and scrubs. It makes it so luxurious. Then I dry brush, lotion, and put on all my “potions”, as my husband says. Many of my night spa tinctures like face masks and body scrubs can be made at home with simple ingredients. Here is one of my favorite body scrub recipes — one part coconut oil and one-part turbinado sugar. If I really want to get fancy, then I’ll add in some vanilla – it smells heavenly! It doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective.
Why would I do this every night? Because it is my time to turn off the screens, the to-do list, and the buzz of Cocomelon (music video television for toddlers) still ringing in my head and to tune into myself. The simple act of taking care of my body really centers me. Self-care will look completely different for you. Maybe you love going outside for a walk with your dog at the end of the day or meeting up with friends to unwind. I would urge you to find out what gives you a sense of release.
I think too often we think self-care is an expensive event that we only have the time and/or money to do once a month or less. But that amount of self-care is definitely not nurturing. Giving yourself time to unwind and focus on just YOU greatly improves your state of mind. Find little moments throughout the day where you can tune into yourself and slow down. It doesn’t have to be anything big — maybe you sit in your car for an extra minute before you go into work or the grocery store to sing or take some deep breaths. I think nowadays our lives are so fast paced that we forget to just breathe. Our bodies are more than just vehicles to complete tasks.
I know asking you to add one more thing to your to-do list or goals can feel like a lot. But know this: you are important enough to add to your to-do list. Find your “night spa” and visit it as often as you can. Only when we take care of ourselves can we truly take care of others.
