Self-care Sunday: It’s all about me
Northglen News journalist, Candyce Krishna, shares some of her mandatory Self-care Sunday activities, many of which are a total flip of her stereotypical week.
YOU’RE probably reading the headline and thinking, well, that sounds a tad selfish, but I assure you, having one day set aside just for you, every week or alternate week, will do you a world of good.
The term Self-care Sunday was coined a few years ago to motivate people to take a step back and dedicate one day to focusing on themselves. Doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you are doing what you WANT to do and not what you NEED to do.
Why a Sunday? Many people, like me, generally have more free time on a Sunday to indulge in a self-caring ritual or two. However, every Sunday is unrealistic for me, so I aim for the alternate one.
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Here’s what I generally get up to. These are my must-dos:
Firstly, I declare it ’no need to shower early‘ day so I don’t take that early morning shower like I usually do every other day of the week.
What’s the rush? Every other day is a rush to pack lunches, get the offspring to school on time, get to work on time, run errands … So, I take this one slow.
By the way, my mum thinks I’m a disgusting human being for not showering as soon as I wake up. I have never seen her around the house ’un-showered’ in all my life. I personally can’t strive for such perfection, and since this is the same woman who taught me that if I don’t take care of myself, nobody else will – I will still dedicate this ritual to her even though she doesn’t approve!
The one thing I can’t miss is brushing my teeth, so following that, I head to the kitchen for a hearty breakfast – sometimes a grand fry-up; most times it’s leftover curry and rice, and it always hits the spot!
Dermaplaning is a must, and learning how to do this on my own has saved me some serious moola. It’s a hair-removal technique that involves applying aloe gel on my entire face and using a razor (similar to a scalpel) to remove the hair. I have mastered this, even if I say so myself. Can I only perform this on my face? Yes. Will I attempt to do it for someone else? No. Should you try this at home? If you want to, at your own risk.
This is followed by applying a facial mask, vitamin C and other serums. I also find this the perfect day to apply a hair treatment.
In between all of this, I catch up on reading and binge-watch series on Netflix because to me, there is no other way to watch a series. I can’t watch something in dribs and drabs. No, no, no. We don’t do that around here.
And finally, once I have taken my shower, applied my facial creams, flat-ironed my hair, climbed into bed and finally closed my eyes, reality sets in that when I wake up in a few hours, it will be Monday, and it’s back to the grind!
For me, the Monday after Self-care Sunday is less dreaded than any other Monday because I spent the previous day doing what’s needed for my soul. It’s all about me – and it should be all about you too!
