Self-care can have various appearances among differing people. Bottom line, it doesn't matter whether you consider self-care to be as simple as putting on a sheet face mask or as intricate as planning a trip in the Canadian Rockies for yourself, just so long as you are taking the time to check in with your well being.

Too often other tasks take priority over the conditions of our mental states. This could be because our schedules build up, take up our time and headspace and force us to not take a moment and evaluate how we're doing. Or, it could be because we don't want to admit that maybe we do, in fact, need someone to talk to, or that we might need to ask for help.

For me, I realized there were parts of my heart aching from my past and issues I dealt with day to day that began to consume me. Senior year of high school I was unhappy and at times I felt numb. I would often come home from school, decompress and sob. At first, I felt as though I was overly sensitive for feeling hurt and invalidated my own feelings, which in turn made the situation worse. When these feelings occurred, it became apparent to me that I needed to take time to focus on me and love myself, rather than belittle myself. I started talking about my feelings, doing yoga, going for long walks alone, praying, and writing in a journal. These activities all helped me to feel a bit of bliss even on my worst days.

Now, of course I'm not claiming that everyone's remedy is going to be yoga, long walks, or journaling, that would be largely unrealistic. I also don't want to come across as though I believe that there are "no bad days" because I have a self-care routine, my routine simply helps me gain the strength I need to get through the tough times that come by.

Just know that your feelings are valid and It's okay to take a day off, to be alone, to 'treat yourself', etc. if it is what you need to do in order to refocus on yourself and care for yourself. Take time to prioritize yourself, you deserve it. :)