Self-Care Sunday

Make Sunday your favourite day with a Self-Care Sunday ritual

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I have been practicing Self-Care Sundays long before it became a hashtag but its new popularity gives me a good excuse to talk about it.

When I started on my journey of self-improvement and general happiness seeking I was living in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I lived in a beautiful townhouse by myself and I got into the habit of every Sunday night having a candlelit bath whilst listening to either guided meditation or meditation music.

For the past two years living here in Australia I haven’t had a bath in my house as we lived in an apartment so self-care Sunday changed to the evening that I would pop on a facemask and hair mask and just chill out reading for an hour.

That all changed a few weeks ago as we moved into a bigger house which has a bath. To say I am over the moon is an understatement. Self-Care Sundays have truly been reinstated and before we even moved I went shopping at lush for some gorgeous bath bombs.

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I know the idea of taking an hour to have a bath may seem trivial but it really makes a huge difference to my mental well-being and gives me a chance to really set myself up mentally for the week ahead.

For me this is more than a bath, it’s the opportunity to thank my body and mind for the week just gone and give myself a chance to really unwind before the new week starts.

Here are my top tips for the ultimate bath on Self-Care Sunday night.

Temperature

You don’t want your bath to be either too hot or too cold. The ideal temperature for bath water is about 2 degrees more than the normal body temperature, which is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. To make sure you don’t overheat (especially in a hot country like Australia) I recommend you have a bottle of cold water to hand to cool your body down if needed.

Bath Bombs/Bath Salts

My mind reacts really strongly to scents so it’s super important to me to have my bath smelling gorgeous. I love the bath bombs from Lush because they smell divine and they make your skin really soft. They are made from all natural ingredients so nothing nasty and are not tested on animals so are really ethical too. If my muscles are sore I tend to throw in a bit of Radox bath salts too they help your muscles unwind.

Lighting

I find that candles provide a better light for a relaxing bath than artificial lighting. Artificial lighting sends the message to our brains that it’s time to be alert so softer lighting is the better option for bath time. However please be careful to place the candles in a safe place and remember to blow them out when you are finished.

Music

I like to listen to either guided meditations or just some meditation music when I am in the bath. As meditation is very personal I am not going to recommend any in particular but there are so many options on YouTube just search for what you fancy listening to.

Face and Hair Masks

I love to use this time to pop on a face mask and a hair mask. Lately I have been using Olaplex take home treatment in my hair and Original Skin Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay by Origins. The Olaplex is really helping my hair recover from colouring and the face mask does wonders for brightening my skin.

Afterwards

Don’t ruin all your good work by rushing into something after your bath. In a perfect world you should hop straight into bed afterwards and drift off to the land of nod. If you can’t do that made sure you give yourself at least 5 to 10 minutes of me time after you get out of the bath, don’t shock your senses rushing back to the grind straight away.

I hope this helps to give you some ideas for your own personal Self-Care Sunday ritual.

Aisling

xoxo

#skin #beauty #selflove #motivation