September is Self-Care Awareness Month—the perfect time to recognize the ways in which we can take care of our amazing bodies. That said, how do you take care of yourself?
With most of us living busy lives, self-care doesn’t usually top the list of to-dos during an average day, week, or even month. While we believe in practicing self-care throughout the whole year, we can certainly use this month as a reminder of the importance of showing ourselves some genuine love.
We deserve to take care of our mind, body, and soul every day. There are many benefits to self-care, including reducing stress, improving productivity, becoming more engaged in relationships, and an overall sense of happiness. But practicing self-care isn’t always easy, as many of us know. However, when you realize how self-care can truly benefit your life (and your curls!), you’ll be wanting to take care of yourself through pampering all the time!
Here are four easy ways to incorporate more self-care into your lifestyle!
1. Incorporate a Good Sleep Routine
Sleep is one of the most important factors in our health. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body (and hair) can suffer greatly. Sleep affects how we feel mentally and physically, and a lack of sleep can cause health issues. So how do we get more sleep? It isn’t always simple, but there are some things we can do to try and get more of those precious ZZZs.
We recommend creating a nighttime routine—and sticking to it. It doesn’t have to be complicated, it could even be just one change you make, but having a routine helps your body realize that it’s time to relax and prepare for bed. If you want to start small, try setting a specific bedtime and sticking to it every night. That way your body will get used to going to sleep at the same time each night. We also recommend shutting off all electronics at least one hour before bed, avoiding caffeine late in the afternoon or evening, and keeping your bedroom dark and cool. Consider it you time and just as important as brushing your teeth. Sometimes making changes to take care of yourself start with simply creating the time to do so.
On top of having a good sleep routine, how can you protect your curly hair when you sleep? We recommend using a silk/satin pillowcase. This will help prevent friction, loss of moisture, and the pillowcase won’t soak up any oils, conditioners, or serums you put on your hair as cotton would. We also suggest putting your hair into a protective style, such as braids, to prevent breakage and frizz even further.
2. Set Aside 15 Minutes
As the saying goes, when you have no time is when you need it the most. Even if you dedicate just 15 minutes a week, it’s better than none at all. Try making Sunday nights a self-care night where you can incorporate some of your favorite ways to practice self-love. The ways we practice self-care are unique to everyone, so choose what resonates with you most. This could be journaling for 15 minutes, treating your hair to a deep conditioning mask, or even practicing yoga or meditation to help ease your mind. Whatever you do, make sure it makes you feel good. This is your time to take care of yourself and no one else.
3. Focus on Quality Self-Care
When we think of self-care, sometimes we think of going to the salon for a fresh style, having a facial done, or getting a massage, and while they are excellent options for pampering yourself, is it what you personally need? When we practice self-care, we want to focus on quality. You deserve the royal treatment—and that means something different to everyone.
You shouldn’t have to limit yourself when it comes to self-care. We love to think of self-care as something that makes us feel good. This can be anything from going for a walk with your dog, taking a relaxing bath, making a healthy recipe that energizes your body, rather than making you feel sluggish, or using curly products that put a focus on quality ingredients, care, and service every time. Self-care is about finding things for yourself that bring you joy, no matter how big or small.
4. Move Your Body
Exercise should be an important part of your routine. We all know how good exercise and moving our bodies is for us, but not all of us have the time to get the recommended 30 minutes daily. As mentioned above, carving out 15 minutes can be the perfect time to incorporate some movement into our routines. After all, some movement is better than none.
When you move your body, you are improving not only your physical state but your mental state, too. Exercise helps boost your mood, reduce anxiety, and just makes you feel good overall. Plus, when we feel good, we tend to take care of ourselves better—so everything comes full circle.
What Does Self-Care Have to Do With Curly Hair?
You may be wondering what these self-care tips have to do with curly hair and we’re here to tell you. When you begin to take care of yourself better, you improve all areas of your life—including your hair! Our mental and physical health doesn’t just affect how we look and feel, but it can affect how much shine we have in our hair, the bounciness of our curls, and how much growth we see. Exercising, eating healthy, and getting a good night’s sleep will improve many aspects of our lives, including the way our hair looks and feels.
However, if you want to boost your hair’s natural beauty in your self-care routine, we recommend using a deep conditioning mask! The Crown Deep Conditioning Mask is the perfect treatment for our curly-haired friends to try during their pamper routines. When our curls feel healthy and luscious, we feel better!
Tell us some of your self-care tips and routines! Share in the comments section below.
