“Treat Yourself”

What do you do to make time for yourself? Between lectures, emails, practice, homework, exams, and all the other things that fill up my schedule, I always make sure I make some time for myself. Am I the only one whose high school teachers had posters that said "fail to plan, plan to fail"? I think that taking the time to care for yourself simply applies to this quote. I always aim to plan my rewards, for the past few weeks I as prepare for my first exams as a university student, I have been making sure to take short 5 minute breaks between 25 to 30 minute study times. After 30 minutes when that timer rings I try my best to eliminate as many distractions as possible and try to relax and disconnect myself from my homework/studying duties. While everyone relaxes in different ways I feel like the goal for me is always the same: to create an environment that is most relaxing for me. Honestly, while writing this post I realized that I practice self-care more often than I originally thought. One of the things I find doing most often and actually dedicate a substantial amount of time to is tea. I enjoy treating myself to a warm cup of tea. The whole process ties in with self-love and being kind to yourself: walking to DavidsTea, taking in the environment around me, smelling and talking to other tea loving fanatics, and then heading back home to prepare the perfect cup while I read or watch some of my favorite shows on Netflix. Taking time to do things you enjoy and being mindful about it, is something I think we could all use a little more often in our lives.

Another activity I do but not as often is mindful drawing. As a child, I would be so captivated by the process of exploring and expressing my creativity that I can't recall self-critical thoughts ever entering my mind. As I grew older, however, I become less confident in my creative work and more aware of the opinions of others. Slowly, I have been trying to regain this creative freedom. Sometimes I just doodle, or when I am feeling lazy I print some awesome mandala coloring pages. I find myself spending hours planning, coloring, and visualizing the finished product, giving me plenty of time to think about the world around me and reconnect with myself.

Today, take a moment to appreciate the little things you do for yourself every day to reward yourself and just "treat yourself". What are your favorite ways to treat yourself after a long day?