Our life consists of routines and habits. We wake up each day, go through our usual routine, go to work, go home, sleep and do it all over again every day, every week. No wonder we tend to hang out for the weekends and can even experience Monday blues because of the feeling of monotony in it all. We can go through life on autopilot.
This is where the value of creating rituals in your days to break up this monotony can come in and create more meaning and a deeper sense of enjoyment in our every day life.
I invite you to consider this and see where you can create some special rituals in your day. In this blog post, I focus particularly on how you can go from a dull, tedious, 'must do' skincare routine to creating a special skincare ritual you look forward to and enjoy.
What is the difference between a routine and a ritual?
Routines can be experienced on autopilot. Accomplishing tasks without being present. Something you regularly do for no special reason and actions you regularly follow. Routines are not bad, they give us a sense of structure, however if you are on autopilot for the majority of your days, how is this impacting our satisfaction of life, our mental health and our self-care?
Rituals however give us the opportunity to create a purposeful, intentional and meaningful moment. Grounded in a deeper meaning beyond the actions, rituals do not need to be religious or overwhelmingly spiritual. Some little touches of simple magic here and there bring a special vibe to your tasks that can be the level up it needs. You get to personalize it for yourself on what makes it special for you. Rituals acknowledge that you are in a moment of importance.
"Life isn't about finishing doing all the things"
We share some things that may help create a special moment in your skincare routine. I am aware for many of us busy women, consistently and mindfully caring for our skin can be a challenge. Tiredness and the feeling of a lack of time can be one of the challenges we face in our self-care routine. Take some time to think about what your intention would be in creating a ritual for yourself? Maybe it's to spend some time loving yourself a little more? A time to acknowledge that this is your moment, your time out, your time to slow down, where you can literally let go of the stress of the day and reset. The intention setting will help to motivate you in creating that moment for yourself. Communicate with your household that you need some undisturbed time and that this is important for you.
It helps if you are in touch with the skincare you use, and if you love the skincare you are using. What is it that you love about it? Maybe it's how it feels, how it smells, and how it leaves your skin feeling? Maybe there is something about the brand values that resonates with you. Maybe you adore the ingredients in the products as it helps you feel good at what you are using on your skin? This is a great act of mindfulness and connecting with the products you use.
Play some music you enjoy, or listen to or journal some affirmations that you need to hear.
Light a candle.
Incorporate a cup of herbal tea and use those few minutes to relax while you sit and relax with a facial mask.
Give yourself a few minutes of facial massage with a favorite oil or cleanser. (We will share a facial massage tutorial soon!)
Incorporate your skincare time into a whole wind down routine in your evenings. Think about creating it when there is the least time pressure, so you're not in a hurry.
Rituals are like the meaningful sign posts in each day and can give us a change from some tedious tasks that we have to do. It supports mindfulness practice and enjoyment and you may find you enjoy your own company more and look forward to those moments!
We hope this has inspired you or reminded you to create some or more meaningful practices and rituals in your life. It doesn't even need to be just in your skincare routine. I know you'll find a little bit more joy as you create a safe space for yourself to support your sense of happiness and well-being. Through times of high stress, this is going to help us cope better and lessen anxiety in our bodies and mind.
Love Cath xox