Real self-care might not always be as hot as it sounds, but it'll save you. We've all heard the self-care sermons, from lighting a candle to taking a bubble bath and putting on a face mask. While we love a good skincare session, let's get real, a lot of mainstream self-care is just low-key procrastination with a lavender scent.
Proper self-care can get messy, unfiltered, and uncomfortable. However, it's also what makes you functional, grounded, and, ultimately, happy. Here are five soul-nourishing self-care rituals that won't go viral on TikTok and will actually help you hold it together.
1. Take Your PTO And Don't Apologise for It
No, you're not leaving the team hanging. You're taking a break because you're a person, not a productivity robot. If you're sick, rest. If you're burnt out, unplug. You don't owe anyone an explanation.
2. Take Your Breaks at Work
Stop bragging about working through lunch. Close the laptop. Go outside. Stretch. Eat. Breathe. Reclaim your boundaries and normalise rest during the 9–5. Take a 30-minute pause and watch your mental health and productivity spike!
3. Go to Therapy or Journal Like It's Your Diary from 2008
Venting to your friends is great, but is it more effective than consulting trained professionals or engaging in honest and vulnerable journaling? That's where the real processing happens. You don't need to be completely broken to benefit from therapy. Sometimes you just need an outside voice or your own words on paper. Such steps are essential for you to navigate life's challenges from a healthy standpoint.
4. Stop Performing Your Life
Be boring. Be offline. Be the person who cancels plans and watches a documentary instead. Constantly being on can be draining and often unnecessary. Let yourself exist in peace, not performance nor a showstopping moment. The most boring ones are those who are the most at peace.
5. Cook for Yourself, Even When It's Just You
Forget the aesthetics and the reels. Never skip nourishing your body with your own hands. A solo homemade meal, even if it's basic, is the purest act of love you can offer yourself, while nurturing your body.
Real Self-Care Isn't Always a Vibe, But Vital
Without the filters or the aesthetic routines, the best self-care is more often the stuff no one claps for. The boring, grounded, and consistent choices that protect your peace and help you survive the chaos.
