As the years progress, more and more people embrace the idea of self-care. When we think of this concept, we automatically envision a woman doing her skincare routine with some candles lit or stepping into a bubbly bathtub with warm lights and a glass of wine. While these impressions are also true, the truth is that self-care comes in many forms, and it is for everyone.
At its core, self-care means doing practices or routines that allow people to re-center, reenergize, and find balance in their well-being. More than pampering yourself or doing skincare activities, self-care means prioritizing the things or activities that bring you happiness, give you a boost to carry on, and empower you to help others too. As more women embrace the concept of consistent self-care, it’s time that men also put it into practice more as well.
Whether it’s your father, brother, friend, husband, or partner, help the men in your life get acquainted with the concept of self-care for self-optimization. Here are seven ways you can suggest to them.
Self-care hacks for men
1. Regularly get a good night’s sleep
Sleep is arguably a crucial aspect of self-care that is often overlooked. This makes a huge difference in our bodies as it helps us “charge our batteries” and wake up feeling more refreshed and geared up to face another tough day.
Start encouraging the men in your life to establish a healthy nighttime routine. This includes getting enough sleep—around seven to nine hours of sleep on average. When they do this, they support their body’s repair cycle, resulting in immune system boost, optimal brain function, healthier skin, among others.
If you know they’re having trouble falling asleep or are struggling with racing thoughts at night, it may help to create a calming and relaxing atmosphere. Some of these may include adjusting your room temperature to level up comfortability, sipping some calming tea, enjoying a soft and skin-soothing blanket, keeping devices away from you, and many more.
2. Get a massage
Another way to do self-care while rejuvenating physically is by getting a good massage. Have your husband, family member, or friend join your next massage session. Purchasing a massage chair is also another great and convenient idea.
Multiple studies show that just having 45-60 minutes of massage can already improve blood pressure, lower heart rates, and promote a serotonin boost. Massage is indeed a beneficial way to help your body restore its vigor. It helps in reducing soreness and improving blood circulation, so it’s always worth the experience.
3. Experience relief with essential oils
We’ve always known essential oils as women’s de-stressing buddies. However, these oils are for everyone. Have the men in your life incorporate essential oils into their everyday self-care routines. With their therapeutic aroma and feel on the skin, they’ll surely give your loved ones a major chill feel. They also have skin benefits—clearing clogged pores, enhancing skin texture, and ensuring moisturized skin.
As we know, essential oils are compounds derived from plants, flowers, fruits, and many more. The most common types of essential oils with proven benefits are peppermint, lavender, rosemary, rosehip, almond, and sunflower oil.
One can also spice the day or night up by incorporating a healthy skincare routine. For ultra-moisturized and hydrated skin, you can never go wrong with skincare ingredients that have natural humectant properties like jojoba oil and hyaluronic acid.
4. Consider journaling
Every dude should make it a habit to start journaling, especially if jotting down thoughts and plans works for them to better process everything. Regardless of the form (i.e., bullet journaling, freewriting, and sketching), journaling trains the brains to focus on the positive things and find solutions to problems. With journaling, your brain gets rewired to benefit the different areas of your life.
Journaling doesn’t only prompt introspection. It also provides a safer space to write down goals, track progress, and keep oneself accountable.
5. Sweat out the stress
The men in your life can kick off the day in a positive way through exercising—another great way of practicing self-care. It’s a time when they can focus on themselves and the rhythm of their bodies. What’s good also is that exercising enables the body to release chemicals known as endorphins, which make one feel happier. Physical activities don’t only also show great physical health benefits. They also offer psychological benefits that result in higher self-esteem, better sleep quality, and decreased feelings of sadness.
Exercise comes in many forms, so no need for them to feel pressured about making great progress. One can start small. Try walking, jogging, cycling, light weight lifting, and simple workout routines, among others. Basking under the vitamin-D-rich sun in the morning and experiencing the tranquil nature while walking will make a great difference mood-wise.
6. Practice positive self-talk
Encourage your husband, family member, and/or friend, to offset the critic inside their heads and adopt a kinder approach to self-talk. As we know, we are our own worst enemy, so starting to use positive language will help them believe in themselves more and in what they can do.
7. Let yourself feel and express more
Many perceive men as people who cry and express less. This may also be because of the societal pressures put on them (e.g. crying and sharing struggles mean being weak)
It’s time that we break this mindset and believe that crying and expressing more are for all humans, and that it’s brave to be able to do these, especially when done with harmless intentions. Should men need support, it’s okay to ask for help.
Final thoughts
Self-care should be pursued one step at a time rather than trying to overhaul life overnight. Start building small habits that work for you and do them consistently.
Truly, taking care of yourself and others too isn’t a luxury. It’s an investment. But remember that self-care isn’t just what you do; it’s a mindset.
AUTHOR’S BIO:
Kat Sarmiento writes articles with the hopes of reaching out to more people. Her writing is focused on lifestyle, science, and smart hacks, that will definitely (well, hopefully) be useful to her readers.
