Self-care is to self-love as action is to verb. It is an extension and a cultivation of what self-love embodies. It's one of those things that should be second nature to people today but oftentimes takes a backseat to other life demands. It is easy to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of life and forget to take care of yourself. Maintaining mindfulness and prioritizing self-care counteracts the negatives that deplete your mood, energy, health, and overall quality of life.
Self-care is vital.
When I think about self-love and the actions of self-care, the standard manicure/pedicure or going to the spa comes to mind, but I wondered if there were other go-to treat yo' self practices that creative women on-the-go used in their self-care practices.
I know for me, being on a budget does not allow much room to splurge on salon visits or massages too often (or not at all) so self-care practices had to take other forms. For a long time, I did not realize its importance until I became aware of how differently my experience with the world was when I took the time to be with me and there for me versus when I did not. I was so accustomed and so ready to be everyone's “yes" girl that I forgot to say “yes" to who mattered: me.
Self-care is mindfulness.
When I am mindful, I am centered and when I am centered, what goes into me and out of me flows in this wave of effortless beautiful energy. I enjoy running a luxurious warm bath, no bubbles, just clear water with music playing in the background, a glass of wine or a cup of herbal tea, and lit vanilla sandalwood candles to light the room. That's my ideal form of self-care. I am with myself, I am taking in myself, and I am enjoying myself and making myself feel good.
I spoke to ladies I admire about what all their self-care practices entail. Read below for some self-care practice inspiration.
"Self-care is keeping a close inventory of my time."
"My ideal method to practice self-care is to keep a close inventory of my time because time is one of the greatest resources we have. If I'm spending ALL of my time working without taking breaks or finding activities that replenish me, I won't be any good. So being mindful of what I'm doing and when I'm doing it helps keep me in check to make sure I'm spending time praying, writing, meditating, going to the gym, being around people who remind me of my greatness, working on what I love and anything else that restores me. Self-care consists of a really good workout, good food, amazing conversations, taking in art in whatever forms it comes, and a great night of sleep." - Melissa Kimble, Social Media Strategist & Creator of #blkcreatives
"Self-care is spoiling myself with myself."
"As someone who is constantly on the go, whether it be school, work, or personal projects, I often look forward to the nights I get to spoil myself with myself. I usually pick up my favorite bottle of chardonnay and start my night by delving into DIY's. I like to blend my own body oils while simultaneously indulging in the aromatic scents the essential oils exude while mixing. It's calming, relaxing, and gives me a moment to learn what my body and my brain respond to. I then apply the body oil to my body, taking the time to explore and appreciate the skin that I'm in. It is a liberating experience because it allows me to remain attentive to my body, while giving myself a break and simply focusing on loving what makes me, me." - Marie, Writer/Blogger
"Self-care is engaging all five of my senses in the best way possible."
"As a business owner, I have to practice self-care often or else I'll lose my mind, ha! To me, self-care means being mindful of how you're treating yourself and knowing what your needs are. We get so wrapped up in how to best serve others that we end up losing ourselves in the process. In order to center myself after a stressful day (and really, what day isn't stressful), I light yummy smelling candles, blast my trippy music of choice...or Drake, actually, it's usually Drake, and I eat my favorite foods while swaying around my room! For me, it's all about engaging all five of my senses in the best way possible, because sitting at a computer day in and day out can definitely weigh on you." - Jacque Amadi, E-commerce Entrepreneur
"Self-care is in the calmness of enjoying a good meal."
“I'm a huge advocate of the power of food: the moments after you've devoured an incredible meal are filled with such a wondrous sense of relaxation and satisfaction. For my self-care nights, I treat myself to a phenomenal meal. Sometimes I'll cook, sometimes I'll go out, but I don't worry about cost, calories, or time. Instead, I simply immerse myself in the calmness of enjoying an astonishing meal with myself. Also I always pair it with a bottle of either champagne or hard liquor, so that helps." - Zauni, Writer/Blogger
"Self-care for me is dance."
"Ideal self-care for me would be to go a dance class, workshop, or even a weekend retreat. I have neglected dance and movement for such a long time and it's a huge part of what makes me feel sensual and alive. It's easy to get caught up in adulting and let the things that feed your heart and soul fall through the cracks. Dance is an excellent creative outlet to give your mind a break and just flow." - GG Renee, writer/creativity coach
What do the self care practices that help keep you sane and centered look like? Share with me below.
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So, before we look up and — boom — we’re just a few weeks away from summer (because that really is how this year is going, y’all), take a moment to learn more about spring fever and how you can actually make it work for you in ways that you may not have ever even considered before.
Spring Fever. What Is It All About?
GiphyA fun fact about me is I was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. If you add to that the fact that my mother is a New Yorker, perhaps that is why my favorite times of the year are fall and winter (check out “There Are Actually Scientific Reasons Why So Many Of Us Adore The Fall Season”) — including the fact that, yes, I like it cold and dark. Oh, I so enjoy cuddling up in cable-knit blankets in a room that is filled with candles. It is absolutely my thing.
In fact, I hate that I didn’t plan better this year, so that I could take a vacation to Colorado during this month since, reportedly, March is when a lot of the state tends to have the most snow. And if you add to that the fact that I am a bona fide ambivert — listen, if anyone is perfectly content with spending most of my time indoors (my house, specifically) with a cup of hot chocolate and a book or a good movie…she is I and I am her.
Still, that doesn’t mean that, over the past week or so, I haven’t felt the urge to get out more than I typically do. And from what I’ve read, that is probably due to, yep, spring fever — a time when many people feel more restless and/or like they have more energy than usual. And although it’s not technically a medical condition, many experts on the topic say that spring fever should be taken quite seriously.
The main reason is because when daylight savings time “springs forward,” it gives us extra daylight. When that happens, it actually has an impact on your circadian rhythm (the pattern that your body experiences every 24-hour cycle). There are actually pros and cons to this because while, on one hand, “losing an hour of sleep” can up your stress levels (including when it comes to your heart) which is a con, more sunlight also has a way of increasing your serotonin levels which is a pro. You see, serotonin is one of the “feel-good hormones” in your body that causes you to feel happier; it also makes you want to stay awake for longer periods of time.
Something else about spring fever that has some science to back it: You do tend to take a bigger interest in dating and sex (even though fall is reportedly the best time of year for copulation — check out “Did You Know Fall & Winter Are The Best Times To Have Sex?”). There is actually a pretty scientific basis for why this is the case (that you can read here). For now, I guess the best way to explain it would be that sunlight hits your optic nerve which influences the part of your brain known as your pineal gland. When that happens, less melatonin is produced and, since melatonin can actually lower your libido — there you have it: suppressed melatonin can increase your interest in flirting, dating, and intimacy, and being out in the sun more helps to make all of this happen.
Not to mention the fact thatother reports have stated that spring is a time of the year when people tend to be more body image conscious too. Since layering season is gone and yet it’s not quite time to pull out a bathing suit (check out “These 12 Tips Will Make You Feel More Confident In Your Swimsuit”), springtime is a time of preparation. And since you’ve got all of that extra energy — and potential dating interest — spring fever can help to make you more focused on getting your body in the shape that you want it to be in over the course of the next few months.
A final thing about spring fever — it may causeyour moods to be a bit…erratic. That makes sense when you really stop to think about it because spring weather tends to be the same way with all of its roller-coaster ride temperatures, “April showers” and whatnot. So, more than usual, you may feel like you want to hang out for hours with friends one day and then not even want to answer your phone another — which is pretty much a reminder that spring is a season when you should really listen to your mind, body, and spirit to see what it needs.
5 Ways to Handle Spring Fever (So That It Doesn’t Control You)
GiphyOkay, so now that you know that spring fever isn’t just a saying, that it actually has some solid truth to it, here are a few tips that can help to keep it from throwing you off course:
1. Be intentional about stabilizing your moods. It’s not good enough to know that certain things will impact your moods in a random way and then do nothing about it. And since spring fever may have you a bit all over the place, eat foods that will help to make you feel better (check out “In A Bad Mood? These Foods Will Lift Your Spirits!”), look into supplements that will boost your moods (like probiotics, magnesium, and vitamin D), and do some meditating outdoors. The combination of sunlight and deep breathing can do wonders.
2. Get on a sleep schedule. More sun really can throw your sleep patterns off, so you might want to consider putting your body on a sleep schedule. Y’all, I actually read that spring is the season when heart attacks and strokes increase, in part, due to sleep deprivation — so please don’t be out here thinking that just because you may not feel like sleeping that you don’t actually need to. YOU. DO. (Check out “12 Monthly Sleep Habits To Transform Your Rest In 2025”).
3. Exercise…even if it’s in baby steps. There are a billion reasons why we all need to exercise, no matter what time of year it is; however, if the body image thing is really on your mind, there are so many ways to get your body toned up. Jumping jacks, lunges, squats, mountain climbers, bicycle crunches — these are all things that you can do from the comfort and convenience of your house. And walking around your neighborhood either before work or after dinner (or both), especially now that it’s warmer — that is a cool way to get some cardio in. Anyway, Healthline has a helpful article on this topic. Check out “30 Moves to Make the Most of Your At-Home Workout” when you get a chance.
4. Date with a “sober” mind. A wise person once said, “Feelings don’t have intellect.” Yeah, don’t get me to preachin’ up in here (again) about just how much I hate the saying “Follow your heart” when the Good Book clearly says that the heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9-10). For now, let’s just leave it at this: You get that science says that your urge to, umm, entertain more, may increase right now. Just make sure that you don’t just “go with the flow of your feelings”. Bring some common sense, street smarts, and even patience to the table. Springtime is just one season. Make choices that will make the rest of the year awesome as well.
5. Put all of that extra energy to wise use. You already read that feeling restless is pretty normal these days; that doesn’t mean that you’ve gotta do reckless things, though. The way that I see it, extra energy can help you to make some plans, reach a goal (whether it’s long-term or short-term), or try something new that you’ve always wanted to do. Bottom line: just because spring fever may have you feeling like you’re all over the place, that doesn’t mean that you can’t cultivate some real direction. Use this time to make you end this year in a way that makes you smile. All because you used spring fever…instead of allowing it to use you!
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