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3 new ideas for how to care for yourself.

Since I’ve started being proactive about practicing self-care on a regular basis, I’ve realized that self-care practices are constantly evolving given the season of life.  I’ve done two past posts on self-care: my 13 favorite self-care practices and my (current) favorite self care practices.

Today I wanted to share another post on what self-care has been looking like for me lately.  After spending sometime with my sister-in-law this weekend, I realized one of my favorite things about her is how she does kind things for herself on a regular basis.  She’s a good example for me to have in my life.  For some, it can be challenging for you to do nice things for yourself.  I hope this post inspires you to start treating yourself better through regular self-care acts.

Here are the 3 things I’ve been doing lately to care for myself:

Trying things I’m curious about

This can be as simple & inexpensive as finding a YouTube video on a hobby you might be interested in (hello, arm knitting) or a bit more pricey if you sign up for a class.  For me, I had always wanted to try taking a pottery class with wheel throwing.  In July I started feeling like I wasn’t being very present and was instead just wishing everyday that it was November 11th and time for baby to be born.  In an effort to be more present and enjoy the journey of being pregnant I planned some fun things for between then and Nov 11th.  One was our babymoon and another was signing up for a pottery class with my mom at Foelber Pottery.


I ended up making 3 pieces total.  One piece was a Raku pieces.  I captured the Raku process and previously shared on Insta Stories…

Here are my 3 finished products…

  • a berry bowl / mini colander
  • mug with giant handle
  • crochet vase

Stopping and being still when I need to.

Mondays are my blogging day and I don’t have a schedule.  On these days I can end up feeling overwhelmed and busy.  Even though there really isn’t that much to get done, I just feel rushed.  On those days I’ve started to focus on stopping and being still when I feel myself getting overwhelmed.  But my being still isn’t normally doing nothing. 

Lately my being still / taking a breather for a bit has involved a luke warm (since you’re not supposed to get overheated in pregnancy) bubble bath while listening to a podcast.  I know to help ground them some people go on mindful nature walks, so a while back I was like, “what about mindful baths?” So I started taking mindful baths.  I put on a soothing podcast and then pay hyper-attention as I slowly and thoroughly suds up every single part of my body. I was gifted the below Aveeno Baby product for Raspberry, but ended up really liking the smell so I’ve been using it for me :)

I realize that not everyone has the luxury of working from home on Mondays, but I imagine you could think of some sort of mindful break that would work to help your brain feel calm for 5-15 minutes.

Essential oils + diffuser

The other day at the grocery store I was so nauseous when I stumbled upon an aisle with essential oils on it.  I was like, “oooo I’m going to smell these and see if any make me feel less nauseous.”  And the peppermint one did the trick! Then I bought a cheapish $30 diffuser.

Next I wanna get a lavender oil to diffuse in our bedroom at night.

Is there any hobby you’ve recently started or have been wanting to try? Or d0 you have any favorite self-care activities you’d like to recommend to other readers?

22 comments

  1. LOVE the idea of taking a class as self-care. I’d love to take a photography class some day. The pottery you made is so pretty!

    • Yes to photograph! I took a photography class as an elective in high school and really liked it. I wonder what a photography class would be like today. Like would they still have you develop film in a dark room?!

  2. I love the pottery you made!
    Your watercolors inspired me to get back into painting. As you suggested above, Youtube is a great free resource for learning new things! Watercolor is such a soothing medium… On mornings when working out is not the first thing I want to do when I get out of bed, I put on some music and paint instead. Two years ago, I never would have done that. My self-care/awareness has come so far!

  3. I started taking piano lessons this summer. It’s such a great feeling to do something good for yourself.

  4. I love the essential oils diffusers! I have a horrible time sleeping at night and I find that incorporating an essential oils diffuser has been amazing! We also bought a new, very comfy comforter which makes me feel like I’m wrapped up in a cocoon at nighttime. I slather on lavender scented lotion and now my bedroom is a sleep haven. Problem is… it’s SOOOOO hard to get up now!

  5. Love these! I recently read a mystery novel – something I haven’t done in a long time. I’ve been doing word finds in my down time, and I took a few baths as well. These little things helped me feel nice and calm. I love that you continue to explore what self-care means for you. Thanks for mentioning this and guiding me in focusing on taking better care of myself!

  6. Hey lady. I love that you’re doing some self-care. Wanted to make sure you knew that essential oils, especially peppermint, should not be used around baby until at least six months. Peppermint, should not be used by you or baby as long as you are nursing, as it can decrease milk supply. And can cause breathing issues in baby up until about six years of age. Don’t know if you already are, but peppermint tea right now (not when nursing!)and ginger tea should both help with that stomach upset too!

  7. I used to be into pottery when I was younger and would love to get back into it now! A big thing for me is to set a timer for 5-10 min, turn on my diffuser (I’ve been into eucalyptus lately), and just close my eyes and breathe when I get home from work. So relaxing and a great way to transition into the evening. I always enjoy your self-care posts btw!

  8. Whole Foods had cooking classes that I LOVE and haven’t done in ages. It’s a great gift too to give a friend. I went with my sister-in-law and we did the Christmas cooking one. So fun!

  9. I love the idea of trying something you’re curious about. I’ve totally gotten out of touch with most of my hobbies as life gets more hectic. Off the top of my head, some of the things I’ve been wanting to do: join a sand volleyball team, take a painting class, take drum lessons, join a book club, get back in to photography…I’ve got a lot of work to do!

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  11. I love diffusing oils! It seems like a small thing, but it really helps soothe my nerves and I love how refreshing it is! Also, EO are great for sleeping! I use doTERRA’s Serenity at night, and it is AMAZING for sleep!

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