Self-Care (Women > Men)
& anyone who found my page through the link on my Instagram profile.
I'm back!
(PS I know the mobile layout is bad, plz bear with me anyway)
This week, I'm reflecting on my experience getting better at taking care of myself, learning from setbacks, and most of all, celebrating life's great moments.
Next time, I'll probably post about reading, traveling, and eating all of the best desserts wherever I decide to go ;)
This time, however, the story is about YOU. We all have our own ups and downs that come from being strong women and men today (gender fluid people, you are wonderful too, but my own perspective today comes from being a woman). So this is about those highs & lows in our daily lives and how we react to them.
<<downsWhen we go through a tough time in any aspect of life (work, romantic relationships, friends, family) we have an opportunity to grow mentally and emotionally. We need to embrace any sad or negative feelings and be more aware of how it’s affecting us. Then, when it's time to feel better, we need to take care of ourselves, stay engaged in the world around us, and share our lives with people closest to us.
When something amazing happens, oh yes, we should celebrate!- even if that requires a little planning. Got a promotion at work? Friend got engaged? Simply getting together with friends you haven’t seen in awhile?
Be grateful for all of the good in this world and all of the blessings we have been given, all of the accomplishments we fight for on our own, and all of the exciting life milestones we get to share with our friends and family.
Alright. Here's where the Women > Men part comes in (see title).
This blog post title is NOT saying women are superior to men. I just want to recognize that women stereotypically have more practice than men do with positive self-talk, reflecting on their own thoughts and emotions, and translating that into self-care. We love commemorating things.
We're usually better than men at expressing our emotions to ourselves and to other people. In fact, those tough conversations help us feel better, and sharing the emotions allows us to celebrate. And we're pretty damn good at organizing celebrations for ourselves and others (see video at end).
However, we women want our male counterparts (friends, boyfriends, spouses, family) to express feelings too. We want you to take extra steps to feel better when you need to, and to embrace great celebrations for life's amazing moments. Our emotions are processed and our joys are greater when we don’t keep it all to ourselves. Don’t be too cool for school, just be present.
Disclaimer, I usually write more commentary about each bullet point, idea or action. Now, I’m leaving it up to interpretation for you, to find something that works for your situation.
My one blanket statement is I wholeheartedly believe all of these self-care tactics and ways of celebrating are common among women because they are good for the soul!
So let's talk about...
Things women do that men should also try:
(see left for top 10, right for some reference memes)
WHEN WE NEED TO FEEL BETTER
1. 1. use facials, at-home face masks 2. go out for a mani pedi 3. pluck your eyebrows 4. make your bed in the morning 5. spray lavender on your pillow before tucking yourself in for the night 6. light a candle and take a bath 7. go to a therapy session (the most gender-neutral of all self-care tactics, but I still don't hear men talk about it much) 8. yoga (also don't hear men talk about it much) 9. journal! (I don't know many men who write down their thoughts, feelings & what happened in their day, but props to all who already do) 10. buy a new piece of home decor just because, or for changing of the seasons like for Halloween | 3. eyebrows  6. take a bath  7. therapy  8. yoga   |
WHEN WE HAVE SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE
|
1. throw a theme party (90s is a crowd pleaser) 2. facetime your best
friend to help choose an outfit for your night out (I hope my guy friends do
this but it's definitely not as common) 3. dance in your living
room (group, partner or solo encouraged) 4. make a photo book from
the celebratory event (vacation, wedding, etc) 5. print a photo from
your celebration & frame it in your home 6. go on a vacation with
friends or family & wear matching shirts 1 day (see every bachelorette
trip ever) 7. mail a handwritten card to a friend, and add a piece of candy, a photo or a tea bag 8. invite your pals over & make a charcuterie board. Eat said meat & cheese while
drinking wine! 9. get a group to go to
your favorite bar & sing & dance all night 10. celebrate just because the seasons are changing. October = baking pumpkin desserts & watching Hocus Pocus |
2. outfit planning
  6. Big fan of this video: a man’s review of a mostly-female vacation 8. fancy snacks  9. karaoke or dancing  10. seasonal festivities  |
Two morals of this post:
1. Women can inspire men to embrace their feelings
2. Men can learn from women on how to organize celebrations
Eric D'Alessandro- Women are the Best Hosts
And, what is a TJM post without a motto, so here are a couple of my personal faves.
Life's too short to say no to dessert.
But, life's also long enough that you can occasionally say "no" to something, in favor of self-care, maybe a nap. Your body will thank you later, & your friends will understand.
and party on dudes
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