Self care is a popular concept in the wellness industry gaining more importance every day and for good reason.
What is self care?
Self care is the individual practice of health management. It’s basically everything you deliberately do to ensure you stay happier. Self care benefits your mental, physical and emotional health and well-being.
So, it’s clear that self care is important but what are some of the best self care practices? Well, there are many self care practices including ticking off something lurking on your to-do list, meditating or even going cloud watching (Try it, honest!). Different self care practices work for different people. Once you know what you want to achieve with self care, you can start working your way through creating a plan including ways in which you can practice self care.
Today, we’re going to talk about 4 easy ways to improve your self care routine and how adding candles to your self care practices can help you level up. Why are candles good for self care? Well, the scent of candles is a powerful stimulant for mental wellbeing. Candles can help calm your mind or give you a boost of energy. Whatever you’re looking for, we’re here to help you understand the four best ways to include candles into your self care routine.
Reading as a self care practice
Did you know that reading is one of the most effective forms of self care? YES, that’s right! As an activity which can both engage and relax us, reading provides an escape for everyone. In times like these when things can seem uncertain and overwhelming, nothing sounds better than picking up a book and escaping to a foreign land.
We’re really advocating for reading to be added to your self care practice because it plays a big role in calming you down. A study at the University of Sussex found that reading for just 6 minutes can help reduce stress levels by up to 68% (even above listening to music and going for a walk!). Who would have thought?!
If you’re looking to take your reading time to the next level then consider adding some candles to your little corner to make it even more relaxing. Remember, candles can set the atmosphere of a space so which candle scent to burn is 100% up to you. If you’re looking for a recommendation, why not try BRAGGADOCIOUS - our sage and rosemary scented candle.
Meditation as a self care practice
We’ve all heard of meditation or practised it. What is meditation and why is it important? Well, meditation is the practice of resting the mind. In today’s world, we’re all constantly being bombarded with information. It has never been more important to step back and allow our minds to relax even if for a few minutes.
The benefits of mediation are extensive but it can do wonders for your mental wellbeing. For example, it can build self-awareness, bring your focus back to the present, reduce negative thoughts, increase creativity and also help you gain new perspectives in stressful situations. So, incorporating meditation in your self care practices is clearly important and beneficial.
Yoga as a self care practice
A lot of people wonder if yoga and meditation are the same things. We’re here to clarify that mediation may be considered a part of the yoga lifestyle but they differ. Yoga is a spiritual discipline that focuses on striking the perfect balance between mental and physical wellbeing. Yoga is a popular form of physical exercise and a great way to stay fit and show your body some love.
What are the benefits of yoga? Well, it’s absolutely fab for flexibility, increasing muscle strength and also toning your body. In terms of the mental health benefits of yoga, you can benefit from reduced anxiety and stress, better sleep quality and a potential decrease in symptoms of depression.
When practising yoga, you want to make sure you’re creating a warm and welcome atmosphere. This is important because it will help centre your mind and body while energising you for the remainder of the day. For this, we recommend BOUJIE - our orange, ylang-ylang and cedarwood candle
Bath time as a self care practice 
We’re super excited about this self care practice because it is undoubtedly one of our personal favourites. Taking a hot bath or long shower brings relaxation to the mind and is a perfect escape from the world for some necessary me time. You can incorporate a hot bath or shower into a home spa day and follow it up by putting on your fuzzy bathrobe and reading magazines or giving yourself a facial.
Now, we know that everyone makes bath time special for themselves in different ways. It may include a sprinkle of bath salts or even the beautiful addition of a colourful yet soothing bath bomb. Our idea of the perfect bath is left incomplete without the addition of a candle or two! Scented candles in the bathroom can enhance your bath or shower time in so many ways.
Firstly, the bright lights of a bathroom do not scream calming by any means. Scented candles bring that perfectly soft, warm glow making the cosy atmosphere a lot more relaxed. More important is the scent of the scented candles. If you take bath time as seriously as us, make sure you’re looking for candles that promote relaxation. We’d suggest BREEZY - our vanilla and lavender candle or BOUTIQUE - our cedarwood and geranium candle to enhance your bathing experience because of its relaxation properties.
HAPPY SELF CARE! x