Indulgences and self-care almost go hand in hand.
As individuals, we all have our ‘thing’ when it comes to self-care, and on a scale from 1 to out there, they can definitely range from tame to wild and free, but the good thing about individuality is that there’s usually something different that works for everyone.
Some of you may be ‘Netflix & facemask kind of people (we’re Netflix & at home mani kind of people), but if you’re getting bored of the same old pampering routine, here’s a neat and interesting list of unusual ways to pamper yourself.
TAKE A NIGHT OUT FOR YOURSELF!
Let’s be honest, doing things alone needs to be a lot more normalized in our culture. You’re not lonely, and you’re focusing on you; what could be healthier? So you like a bath and a bit of body wash, maybe you even like to make your soaps with all the infusions you know work best on your skin. If so, this is a good little spin on the ever present spa days at home, as taking yourself out for a good night is something we reserve for friends.
Yet, booking yourself into a fancy hotel or restaurant for a night or few hours is a good way to know you’re truly relaxing in style. Have someone wait hand and foot on you for a whole night with the room service option, and use up all the towels without anyone complaining. Plus, the cute little bottles you get in each room to use in the bathroom can all be dumped into your hands when it comes to using a flannel; no sharing needed!
GO OUTSIDE!
This is such a simple action but we don’t do enough of it! When it comes to breathing in the great outdoors, it doesn’t have to be because you’re going for a run or just a sit in the park, and you definitely don’t have to navigate through traffic for a few hours to find a good place to explore!
Go downtown and go inside all the shops you usually wouldn’t frequent, or take a walk when it’s a little dusky with a friend so you can watch the sunset together; maybe even pack a sandwich and a blanket!
When it comes to pampering yourself, the possibilities are endless when you get a little more creative than usual. Take any of these ideas and roll on!
MEDITATION SESSION
Meditation + pamper aren’t always looked at as being in the same category, but why not? Meditating is one of the best forms of self-love and self-care, and the benefits of meditation are phenomenal. Seeking inner peace and finding a way to connect with your calm from the inside out doesn’t necessarily have any topical pampered effects, but when you can tackle the day the way you want becasue you’re balanced, well that’s the icing on the cake right there
Challenge yourself to 10 minutes a day (it’s not easy, trust us) with this Guided Meditation & Colour healing video.
GET A LYMPHATIC MASSAGE
If you are new to the idea of lymphatic massage, essentially what it does is encourage natural drainage of the lymphatic tissue. Your lymphatic system’s main responsibility is to transport the fluid containing infection fighting white blood cells throughout the body. It’s also helps rid the body of toxins and harmful substances.
Finding unique ways to treat your body right, and get in on some detox action, is a weird, yet totally unique way to pamper yourself. You’ll walk away from your lymphatic massage feeling energized, clean and interestingly enough, refreshed as if you’ve had a regular tissue massage.
AT HOME SPA DAY & BATHBOMB PARTIES
At home spa days and DIY skincare goodies have been one of our recent favourite self-care activties. We’ve been whipping up DIY recipes like this Sugar and Honey Lip Scrub and this Whipped Shea Body Butter and Shave Gel regularly and use them, especially throughout the winter when our skin gets dry.
Having natural and handmade skincare items, not only makes us feel good about what we’re putting on our body, but makes our body feel amazing. Occasionally we will do a Deep Foot Soak Bath and at home mani-pedi’s, at the same time as a Deep Clay Mask and by the time we’re ready for bed, it’s as if we’ve been to the spa, at a much lower cost, and from the comfort of our couch.
We’ve also recently been turned onto the idea of Bath Bomb parties where you can DIY and bring home your own bath bombs and other shower goodies. Getting out and socializing, while trying not to mess up your bath bomb, surrounded by amazing and delicious scents is a great way to treat yo’ self, and a fun night out. Try creating bath bombs after a couple of glasses of wine, we promise you’ll have a blast.
FOCUS ON YOUR EARS
Following in the vein of professional massages and getting a cheeky mani/pedi every now and then, a good trend to jump on the bandwagon with is ear cleaning. ‘Ear cleaning?’ We hear you ask; yes! It’s a good way to make sure your ear canals aren’t plugged up and everything works well in there when it comes to your earwax and hearing considerations!
You’re no expert when it comes to ear health, we assume, and thus letting someone else have a poke around is a good health check up as well as a therapeutic experience. A lot of people have also described it as quite a pleasurable feeling, so give it a try.
GET YOUR MAKEUP PROFESSIONALLY DONE
We don’t know about you guys, but we’re not really the best at doing our own makeup. We tend to go for the au naturel look, and when we want to go all out with our makeup it always looks as if we’re over-achieving with the brush strokes.
So when we want to feel a bit pampered, or we’re going out for a night on the town, sometimes we head on over to Sephora, or another place that does makeup consultations and spend a couple of extra dollars to get our makeup professionally done.
Having your makeup done, when you’re not the best at it (or even if you’re good at it but want a break or something different) is fun, exciting and makes you feel a little extra special.
OIL PULLING
If oil pulling is a new concept to you, then you’re going to want to read on.
At first with oil pulling we were totally sceptical. Essentially what you do is take an oil that has anti-bacterial properties (like coconut oil) and basically use it as a mouthwash, swishing and stirring it around in your mouth for nearly 20 MINUTES every day.
Due to the anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties that coconut oil possess, it’s said that oil pulling can help regulate unwanted bacteria, is a natural teeth whitener, and has been touted as a great way to ward off colds (as it kills the most common bacteria that takes host in our mouths). It’s an age old remedy, and whether you believe the claims or not, we promise that if you start an oil pulling journey, your mouth and teeth will feel cleaner!
Just remember, don’t swallow the oil post-pull, it now contains a plethora of bacteria, you do NOT want that going into your intestinal system. Spit and rinse with filtered water.
CHANTING & KAPALABHATI BREATH WORK
Okay, so this is one that you’re either willing to try, or you feel naturally embarrassed as the loud noise escapes your body, you may never want to test out again. If you’re a yogi, you may have teachers who love a good chant or Kapalabhati breathing style in their practice. We’ll admit when we first starting following teachers who practiced this way, we had to really get into it. Deep grunting noises aren’t for everyone, but if you’re open to this unique way of meditating, and cleansing breath work, the benefits are truly amazing.
While there isn’t much scientific data to support the cleansing effects of Pranayama style of yogic breathing and chanting, many practitioners believe that it cleanses the lungs, tones the diaphragm, releases toxins, improves digestion, energizes the body, and clears the mind.
If you’re totally open to this style of breath work, try to get to a yoga or meditation class that has a practitioner who has studied Pranayama and are known for their breath work and meditation style of practice.
PICK UP AN OLD HOBBY
This one doesn’t really seem out there in terms of unusual, but picking up an old hobby when it’s been collecting dust in the cupboard for years can seem like a hard thing to do, and you may actually feel a bit akward at first. But, like anything, practice makes perfect, and picking up old hobbies can be like riding a bike. You might stumble at first and fall off, but if you get back on and get to practicing, like muscle memory, the new-old hobby will become engrained and you’ll have it mastered again in no time.
Whether it’s knitting, baking, painting, learning a musical instrument, sculpting, or a form of exercise that you haven’t done in years, whatever the hobby, having one (or two) and indulging in it on a regular basis is a great way to have time with yourself. It’s a way to feel like you’re accomplishing something, and in a sense, a way to pamper yourself.
Instead of the usual hair cut, nails done, massage pamper day, why not test out some weird and unusual ways to be pampered or pamper yourself in the upcoming year. We know some of them are kind of out there, but we promise you, you’ll feel pretty awesome afterwards.
Tell us, what’s your favourite way to be pampered in the comments below.
*This is a collaborative post.
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