6 Small Self-Care Rituals That Are Helping Me Manage Fall Stress

Hi! Welcome back to the blog! It's officially the best season of the year, so happy fall! I just love this season so much. It's got everything from being cozy with all the sweaters, warm drinks, seasonal desserts, to re-watching Gilmore Girls, baking more, and enjoying the foliage. It's just such a gorgeous time of year! And you know I'm all about romanticizing life every single day. And sometimes, it can't be really hard because we feel so overwhelmed and stressed with our day-to-day responsibilities, whether it's work or being a student. But, it's so important to remember that taking care of you is essential, and your happiness and well-being are so important. So, for this blog post, I wanted to share some self-care practices that I've been really leaning into and prioritizing to feel my best. Before I get into this blog post, I just wanted to remind you that it's so critical that you take care of yourself every single day. I know we all have such busy lives, but we can't pour from an empty cup. Re-charging is as important as sometimes being productive, and making time for things that actually bring us joy and happiness is so good for our mental health and just avoiding burnout and stress.

Image Credit: Pinterest

6 small self-care rituals that are helping me manage fall stress:

1. Re-watch a comfort show or movie - What better time of year to re-watch a cozy comfort show that brings us warmth and joy? Watching TV has always been a way to decompress for me and just escape my reality for a bit when life feels stressful and tough. And that's totally ok! Sometimes we just need to find some comfort in a TV show to remind us that everything is literally going to be okay. Some fall comfort shows I love to re-watch are Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl, My Life With the Walter Boys, and some comfort movies of mine are Devil Wears Prada, Two Weeks Notice, The Proposal, The Parent Trap, It's Complicated, and Bride Wars!

2. Listen to more music! - Sometimes music is what we truly need to uplift our mood and bring us some joy and happiness. Music for me never fails to make me feel happy, especially when I'm feeling down or stressed. So, I really encourage you to listen to more music - it's truly so impactful on our mood and our energy! Lately, I've been loving Taylor Swift of course - there are so many good songs on Life of a Showgirl. It's truly a boost of good vibes, even if you aren't a Swiftie! Also, something about listening to Y2K songs is the boost of energy we all need! So, next time you're walking to work or class or running errands by yourself, throw in some headphones and turn on your feel-good music!

3. Put some more effort into getting dressed up daily - A quote that I've loved for years now is "fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life". This quote is just so meaningful to me because it's so representative of how I see getting dressed daily and the impact that it has on me every single day. Fashion and wearing a feel-good outfit really is that armor for me. It brings me joy, and if everything is going wrong and I'm feeling down and stressed, I know that putting on a feel-good outfit is just going to make me feel better. And it truly never fails. There's something about putting in that effort and just looking your best to truly feel your best. For me, putting in that effort is the armor; it allows me to express myself, and truly, it's one of the things I can always depend on to bring me joy daily. So, I highly encourage you to start putting in that effort. Change things up. Experiment with your style and what outfits bring you joy. Fashion and clothing, as well as getting dressed, can truly allow us to express ourselves and bring us happiness. Confidence means feeling our best and being at ease with ourselves. And sometimes that's all we need to survive those realities and the hardships of life sometimes. So, tomorrow, I want you to put on an outfit that you may be saving for a special occasion and just wear it. Because life is a special occasion and getting dressed in a feel-good outfit is self-care for the soul.

3. Romanticize doing your own nails - I recently started doing my own nails from previously getting gels, and can I just say that its been such an act of self-care. I put on my cozy fall show, right now it's Gilmore Girls or My Life With the Walter Boys, and I just paint my nails, and it's so fun. Highly recommend. I've been loving OPI shade baby take a vow lately - it's this beautiful light pink that's super versatile for all times of year, especially if you love neutrals!

4. Do some feel-good movement a few times a week - I'm not the biggest workout girlie, but I think we can all say that movement just makes us feel good. It's transformative for our physical self, and mostly for how we feel mentally. I absolutely love mat pilates, especially Melissa Wood Health. It's an online pilates platform, and a few times a week, I just take out my yoga mat and do 20-30 minutes of pilates. And just moving my body makes me feel so stretched out and releases so much stress for me. And sometimes I just don't want to move my body, but what gets me to the mat is how I'm going to feel once the workout is complete. Sometimes it's so hard to make time in our schedules, but if there's one self-care practice that you can integrate into your daily routine, I'd highly recommend some movement. MWH is great, and even just going for 20-30 minute walks. Something is better than nothing, and moving your body will always make you feel a little better - whether it's a little less stressed or even just happier!

6. Make time for your morning routine - I absolutely love a good routine, and I know routines aren't for everyone, but hear me out. Imagine waking up a good two hours before work, having time to thoughtfully do your skincare routine, your makeup routine while listening to music or watching a comfort creator on Youtube, then putting on a feel-good outfit that we just talked about, then making your favorite breakfast, perhaps a yogurt bowl and a nice cup of coffee. Then, you sit down, you really enjoy that breakfast, and then you touch up your makeup, put your headphones in, and head out the door feeling at peace and ready for the day. This is pretty much my morning routine every single day. And I know, you may be wondering, who has time for this? I'm a huge believer that putting in the time for feeling good is so worth it, even if that means you have to wake up a little earlier. Starting your day a certain way really sets the tone for the rest of it. Like it just does. So, having a nice morning routine where you can take your time is so, so beneficial. Even if I'm feeling groggy and tired and stressed about the day, my morning routine always helps set a positive, calm vibe for the rest of my day. So, I highly encourage you to create more time in the morning and find a routine that works for you. Sometimes "routines" can actually be really beneficial and fun! Even if it's just taking some more time to do your makeup routine, or enjoy your coffee and breakfast :)

And that's it for this blog post, but I really hope you got some inspiration from some of my tips. All of these things are small and so easy to integrate into a weekly basis. I'm such a huge believer that self-care is not the big things. It's the little moments, the little things that re-fuel us, that bring us joy along the way, that help us decompress. If you've been feeling stressed lately, I literally want you to know that it's all going to be okay, and you're doing great every single day, and you're trying your best. And sometimes, when our cup feels a little empty, we just need to do the things that we truly love doing.

Xo, Esha