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Self-care is so important because society pushes us to always be busy. But taking time just for yourself is vital for your mental and physical health. Reading books is by far one of the best ways to practice self-care.
Schedules are hectic but it’s absolutely imperative that you make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Deciding you’ll read a book and then making the time to actually read it, is such a positive action to your overall well being. Reading expands your mind, takes you to another place, gives you a perspective different from your own, and it also gives you time to yourself.
While ideally you have the perfect reading room like Belle in Beauty and the Beast, not everyone has that space. So, whether you have a designated spot or simply read in bed, find the best (and quiet) place that will allow you to relax. If you read at night, make sure you have enough light so you’re not straining your vision.
I typically read at night after dinner and before bed. And because we all try to multitask, I get in some other self-care musts while I read.
If you’re not sure what to read, I have plenty of recommendations on here but with self-care purely in mind, You Me Everything by Catherine Isaac is a great choice. You can check out my review and buy the book on Amazon here.
Here’s some tips to self-care while you read:
Sheet masks
While a long staple in the Asian market, sheet masks have absolutely exploded in popularity in the U.S. in the past few years. There’s plenty of selfies of sheet masks on Instagram and beyond. Yes, we all have done mud masks and while effective, they’re messy and annoying to put on. Sheet masks, on the other hand, are really easy. I notice a big difference in my skin after I use it, particularly the day after. Whenever I travel, I always throw one in my luggage to help with dehydrated skin.
A great one for the price and that is also effective is the Yes To brand, which has all kinds of different collections. I like the Yes To Grapefruit Vitamin C Glow Boosting Paper Mask but each collection is great.
I simply put it on my face, let it do its magic while I continue to read my book. I always leave it on five minutes after the suggested time but that’s up to you.
Candies
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably notice I have a sweet tooth while I read, especially when it comes to pie, donuts and gummy candy. I recently visited one of my best friends in Dallas and she took me to the Sugarfina candy store and it was amazing! We got the Rosé All Day and it was hard not to eat the entire box at once! I was pretty happy to find out they randomly sell Sugarfina at a liquor store by our house in Phoenix. But if you can’t find Sugarfina brand candies near you, these Champagne Dreams Brut and Rose Gourmet Gummies found on Amazon are a good and cheaper alternative.
Candles
One constant comment we hear when people come over to our house, they notice we almost always have a candle lit. Obviously, we love candles for their fantastic scents but there’s something soothing about it too. We’ve bought all different types of candles but I keep coming back to the Chesapeake Bay brand. Not only are they great scents, I like the frosted jar packaging as well. You can buy these candles from Amazon here.
There you have it. All you need is a good book, sheet mask, candies and a candle and you’re well on your way for achieving a good self-care night.
