Are you feeling a little low in the self-love department? Been doing more working than playing? I get it. We all need a little break sometimes and a little reward a whole lotta times. Yes I said lotta. Deal with it.
I have at one time had 1 full-time and two part-time jobs all while taking a few classes at the local community college. Did I need all the money I was making at the time? No, but I do like to shop and have multiple income streams” just in case something happens. That was “my busy”. What’s yours?
Maybe you are a care-giver type. Or an actual care-giver. Always looking out for everyone except little old you. It happens. But whatever the reason you are always too occupied, too busy or too tired to care about yourself there has to come a time when you just DO YOU.
But sometimes you have to set that crazy schedule aside. Sometimes just being an adult is exhausting. Working all day. Bills. Spouses. Kids. People. Gas Prices. Politics. The News. There are days I simply do not want to be responsible for anyone or anything. I want to sleep in, eat chocolate by the pound, check my IG and watch movies all day. Don’t judge me. ( I know you will anyway)
So let’s show ourselves a little love today. It doesn’t have to be Valentine’s Day to be your very own giver of gifts so I have come up with 27+ ways you can love on YOU (and laugh) and then get back to loving everyone else.
*Disclaimer: A sense of humor is required to complete this post. This is a mixed bag list of things to do. We do not condone or recommend any of the bad ones.
1. Eat something you absolutely enjoy.Hey I know in this day and age of “let’s get healthy” a lot of things that always hit the spot may not be on your menu but there are plenty of healthy things are obscenely delicious too. Now I don’t know any but hey all you healthy people can give some ideas in the comments.
“You know how some people are emotional eaters. Well that’s me. If I have a bad day and have a penny to my name you can best believe I am eating something fattening and/or expensively good that night. If my life is going down like the Titanic I figure I might as well be full. It’s like your last meal request right before the electric chair. Anyone have a good reason to perish unhappy and hungry? Me either.”
2. Take yourself to a movie. I used to be one of those people who always had to have someone to do things with. I thought you looked crazy sitting alone in a restaurant or movie theatre alone. Well no you actually look crazy needing to have a ride along for every activity. If I had to have a friend to do anything I would never leave the house. None of my good friends live close by and even when they did they have lives that don’t parallel my own- like kids and boyfriends/husbands, soccer practices etc.
3. Go get a spa treatment. Or two. Nothing says I love me like a manicure and pedicure combo with a side of massage. GO! And get all the extra’s.
4. Take a bubble bath. I can’t even explain the blessing that resides in your tub. I love them. There is nothing like ending a busy Saturday with a clean house, some new purchases by jumping in a nice bubble bath. Light some candles, play some music or live dangerously and juggle your Kindle above water. (Don’t do that). Pull out the good bath goodies that you buy by the ton every time Bath & Body Works has a sale. I know it’s not just me.
5. Call or visit some kids who love you. I love kids. And kids have no problem expressing their love and appreciation of you. They are always happy to see you. And they give the best hugs. And take gifts. Their love grows enormously when you do. Cash doubles it.
6. Call an ex who still wants you. Oh the peril of the listening to the lame who broke your heart professing his love for you when you know there is absolutely no chance he would or could ever get you back. While it sucks for him, it does wonders for your tickle factor. Just don’t laugh while he is saying it. They hate that.
7. Do a triple threat super clean-up. Your garage, your car and your office. These are actually three separate things combined for your reading pleasure.
• Clean your garage: You ever see someone’s garage and there is no room for their actual vehicles because they use their garage for storage. Yeah you. Clean that. Load up on trashcans or order a dumpster and say Adios to those three boxes of college papers and your 16 year olds toddler clothes, or the box of bottle tops Uncle Fred left to you in his will. I honestly don’t know what people keep in there. I have only wanted to keep my car there. And some tools and a bike. Maybe some boxes to things you don’t want to get rid of just yet.
• Clean Your Car: Your garage, your car and your office. You can substitute one of these with a nice yard clean up as well. This is relaxing for me. If not so much for you then hire a mobile car-wash (this is how it usually get’s washed actually) and casually brush your teeth while watching it get cleaned out the window. I’m just saying. Once it’s all done I feel so accomplished. And hot. And sweaty. See #4.
• Clean Your Office: I hate a messy desk. But not so much that I keep mine nice and neat. Messiness is not a sign of greatness. It’s usually a sign of depression and the absolute inability to care at that particular moment. But you know where everything is right? And my sticky note collection is the bomb.com. Just look at you hot pink sticky reminding me to clean my desk!
8. Drink wine. Lots of it. I choose wine because I figure it’s the lesser of all evils and me not being a heavy liquor drinker do not want to encourage you do anything that I have not thoroughly researched 🙂 This is also another multi-layered thing to do. Because with wine comes so many other amazing therapeutic things to do like .
9. Cry. Hey crying does a body and spirit good. And there is alwayyyysssss something to cry about. I can cry about something from 20 years ago or 20 minutes. It doesn’t matter. Once the “cry evoker” spirit has been unleashed everything that has made you mad or sad in your lifetime comes back. And there is no reason to be ashamed of the ugly cry. Because you are alone. And no one can see you. But God. (he won’t tell)
10. Watch a movie favorite at home. Put on your favorite onesie, grab a blanket and some snacks and watch a movie that makes you laugh or cry hysterically no matter how many times you watch it.
11. Drunk texting. Do I need to explain this? Look sometimes it take the Spirit of Wine Truth to get you to say what you really mean. But I am in no one way encouraging intoxication or drunk texting. It’s not always funny. At least texting your boss to say she sucks and you are tired of doing your job and hers too. Or your mother-in-law to tell her you could care less that she hates your macaroni and cheese. Jim (her son) eats it. He better eat it. Or he’ll get a drunk text next week. Except you’ll be sober and just you were drunk later to cover for it. I digress.
“Funny drunk texting fact. I swear I type 50 WPM regularly and 100 WPM when drunk texting. I can’t explain it. I can type and make 50-11 (that’s fifty-eleven not five thousand and eleven for all you not hip to an urban dictionary) errors and corrections on a normal day but my drunk texting skills are superb. I can type 1000 word story all correct in 5 minutes. Without pausing. Wait. Not me. I mean someone I know. I would never drunk text. Not anything negative anyway.”
12. Get a hotel room for the weekend. I may be the only person who does this. But sometimes I just want to be somewhere else. And I don’t want it to involve a long trip or be a big expense. So I will go out of town, usually less than 4 hours distance and just get a room. And do absolutely nothing other than treat myself in the area, sleep or read books. No entertainment needed. But it’s a way to get away from work or people or to just say you went somewhere. It’s really quite time for the soul. I need one now.
13. Download 10 good books on your Kindle and read them all. I love to read. Now if you don’t like to read then you can skip this one. Maybe you like fishing. Go do that. And it doesn’t have to be motivational, inspirational or self-help. If you want to read 50 Shades of Grey that’s your business. Want to read about some wayward romance in the hills of Colorado then go for it. You tend to read quicker when you enjoy it so don’t be surprised when you are able to knock out quite a few during your read fest.
14. Have a Yard- Sale. Nothing beats getting rid of that clutter I mentioned in your garage except getting rid of it and getting paid for it! Yes sell it all. If you were going to throw it away then surely you can make a dollar off of it. And you will meet people. Not all normal people but people. Then you will have money for that movie. Just a thought.
Funny fact: There is someone on Craigslist who will take everything you have free off your hands. I have done this a few times. With items that I didn’t want to move because they were heavy or big but I no longer wanted. And I was able to place an ad and there is always someone who will take that old broken computer (minus hard drive) or broken TV or appliance. If they can fix and use it or resell it then kudos to them. I just wanted it gone and didn’t want to lug it down 3 flights of stairs. Good riddance.
15. Call some friends (or family) who you really enjoy. As you get older you find you don’t to talk daily, weekly or even monthly to friends to maintain solid friendships. But when you do get to talk it’s a 4 hour cram session. you laugh. You reminisce. You whisper so your significant others won’t hear. You walk outside so the kids won’t hear. You actually sit down and ban your kids from the room and enjoy some adult conversation that doesn’t include homework, the latest bedtime story or why there are grass stains on your son’s underwear. (What was he doing exactly?) I don’t know. That’s your kid.
16. Online Shop. NOTHING COMPARES. NOTHING COMPARES TO YOU. Love it. Live for it. Why would I want to come to your little – or big- retail environment when I can order it all online. And find a lot of free shipping deals. And live in an area with where Amazon delivers. Within hours. Virtual shopping carts are the devil and they never get full. Awesome.
17. Be Healthy. Now how long you do this is up to you. But a good workout or making it a full 24 hours on some type of healthy meal plan always makes you feel better. So take your pick between:
• Work It Out. I don’t care if it’s a trip to the gym or a walk around the local walking track. You can even join that group of “women of a certain age” who take their morning walk around the mall if that floats your boat. Some gyms even have guest passes. If that doesn’t work, run to your mailbox. Fast. 40 times.
• Give up Something. Meat. Dairy. Bread. Sweets. Pick one. Your body will say thank you.
• Drink more water. You need it. Your body needs it.
18. Be unavailable. What does that mean? It means stop jumping to the rescue, aid or beck and call of everyone or every situation that does not feed your joy. Especially the ones who don’t return the favor. Or who only call you when they want something. Stop being so dang available! Don’t return their call right away. Ignore their text. Say No!
strong>19. Be available. What? Yeah you have been shady with your calls and stuff. You read it and may have mentally replied and then forgot. Maybe you don’t keep your phone glued to your hip and didn’t see the text until 3AM and didn’t want to respond that late but forgot by morning. Maybe you are really busy or just unorganized. Either way there are some people you need to reach out to that deserve a follow-up. So do it.
20. Take an awesome selfie. You know the kind that get 300 likes when you post it because you hair is “laid”. Not Jermaine Jackson laid but you know it looks real good. Your makeup is on point and you are just looking all cute and stuff. And don’t have not one place to go so why waist all your hard work and not reward it with some social media gratification. Your ex that you called earlier will be the first on the SELF-LOVE CLICK TEAM! #Got ‘Em
21. Write a letter to someone who hurt you. Not one that you will stamp and drop in the mail but one that is purely self-serving. You need to get it off your chest and you don’t need them denying, debating and responding when you do.
22. Start a journal. Maybe that letter wasn’t enough. You might need a daily dose of written release therapy so pick up one and get those feelings out of you and onto paper.
23. Change Jobs. You hate your job. You hate your major in college. You hate corporate America. You hate being on fries. You hate it all. So find what you do like and pursue your passion. If you know what makes you happy, do it. If you don’t know, start trying to figure it out. There is nothing worse than dreading work every day. Except unemployment. So be smart about it.
24. Get a Haircut or New Color. Sometimes you just need a new look. That washed out color and boring style is wearing you out. Try something new. With a professional.
25. Have Sex. Disclaimer: Adults only. Be safe. Don’t cheat. Don’t do it with a cheater. Stay off the computer. Know the person. o_O
26. Take a class. Find something you enjoy or are interested in and take a class about it. You might just find a career. Or a new language. Or a crooked “molded clay creation” to hold your change.
27. Go to Therapy. Admitting you need one is the first step. Whether it’s divorce, grief, a child gone wrong, a childhood trauma , your addiction to drunk texting or your prison bid in 1982. You need someone to talk to and you are insured. Get some help and feel no shame about it.
28. Stop Worrying So Much. Pray about and it and let it go.
29. Travel. If that weekend in Hotel Local wasn’t good enough then get out and see stuff. Whether by plane, train or automobile, let someone take you away besides Calgon.
30. Indulge in Things you Pretend are beneath you. Like Reality TV shows, Daily Facebook Browsing. A batch of Maury, Jerry or Paternity Court. Bridezilla. Your ex.
What are steps you take to show yourself that you care? Remember that one of the most important people to own a key to your heart should be yourself. How do you kick off your own official love fest? Share in the comments.
