Have you ever sat by the beach or a lake, and realised that at least for the moment, all your worries washed away? Nature is healing and it is the best self-care you can offer yourself. It instantly opens your soul and becomes one of the sustainable TLC ideas that can make you feel better.
For the past few days, I have been thinking how potent nature for self-care is. On a day I was grumpier than the Grumpy Cat, the sudden showers instantly brightened up my mood. Again, when I was on the road for a drive, I realised pulling the windows down and letting the wind caress my face and flirt with my hair made me feel lighter, immediately.
There’s so much that makes our hearts sing. A silent hug, a knowing smile, a beautiful sky, a mesmerising sunset, a walk in the park, a good night’s sleep, words of love, music on a rainy day. If we can feel so happy with such uncomplicated things, we can offer ourselves some Tender Loving Care (TLC) in ways that are sustainable.
You don’t need to greedily indulge in things to refresh your soul. It can be done in the simplest ways. Here’s how.
Get some workout
Pick your choice of physical activity. Make sure it’s something that makes you truly happy. Dance your stress away. Walk it off. Power through it with yoga or simply cycle! Getting some movement will give you happy hormones, help you break a sweat and all of that, without harming the environment. Follow it by having a wholesome, earthy meal!
Be outdoor
Go to a beach or a lake. Sit by the water and listen to the music. Get your workout done outdoors to mix it up. Take a hike. Or simply go read a book in the park. Let nature rejuvenate your senses.
Get a massage
If you love spa days like me, a good body massage will soothe more than the aches in your body. It will relax your senses and make you feel like you have done something good for yourself. A good massage with some organic essential oils and a shower after that is one way you can indulge in some TLC without it costing too much to the environment.
De-clutter
Until I got to know how decluttering helps you mentally, I always thought it’s a little eccentric of me to take it up as an activity during the weekends. Do you know one of the things I do when I am not particularly happy? I clean and organise my room. Decluttering will make you feel more in control of things, and reduce the stress related to excessive visual stimuli.
Pamper yourself at home
There are so many things you can do to pamper yourself. We get so busy in our lives that we often don’t get time to do much skin or hair care. You can use an organic mask from an eco-conscious beauty brand or make one at home. Practice caution because many of these kitchen experiments can end up giving you undesirable results so opt for one that you are sure of.
Sleep, sleep and sleep
We want to do so much in such little time. We work, we socialise, we have to make time for chores, etc. In all of this, we sometimes end up losing sleep—one thing that is so important for our physical as well as psychological wellbeing. So when you have time and want to give yourself some TLC but sustainably, just sleep. Keep your devices away, wear your most comfortable loungewear, put on some meditation music and doze off.