I want to try to make this a thing, but I am going to forgive myself right now if I don’t.
I recently just came back from a celebratory getaway – a week-long (ok, 6 days) vacation in Ft. Lauderdale Beach. We generally go to Miami for breaks, but I convinced my S/O to go to FLL instead. I used to hang out there a lot and I was curious to see what changed in the last 10 years. I must say, pandemic be damned, I didn’t notice a lot of changes. Which is a good thing!
Anyway, the celebration was me transitioning into a new job! A part of this for me was a hard reset of my state of mind and trajectory of thought. I must admit, it was a little hard, if not impossible, to immediately cease thinking about work and if everything was going well where I left, and if I was making the right decision overall. A few days in, all I was thinking about was not getting sunburned and being near the water! We stayed right on the beach, so that was no problem at all.
A Mini Spa Day
Getting out of vacation mode is a mental state itself. Our flight was delayed three hours 😤🤬 and we didn’t get home until about 3am. I woke up the next day knowing I needed some self care. For me, that primarily means being by myself for several hours. I don’t really get to do this these days, and when I do, I certainly cherish the time. This means no housework, no errands or chores, and sometimes I just go off the grid — I turn my phone off for about three hours. It. Is. Liberating.
On Sunday, I decided to do some inside-out healing with self care. I’m not sunburned (annnnd I applied and reapplied SPF 50!) but I did get some color and my skin certainly felt like it. I started off with a nice long shower and washed my hair, paying extra attention to my scalp. I still felt pretty wretched so commenced with a sheet mask. That always makes me feel better and like I’m doing something extra for myself. This one is an After Sun Care sheet mask by the brand Love, Jude.
After every shower I take, I drape myself in my favorite spa robe. I first found this robe on vacation in Key West and immediately ordered one for myself. I ordered a size L, which fits me large and comfortable — in my opinion, the way a robe ought to fit. After that, I ordered takeout and spent the next few hours listening to an audiobook. I’m currently reading book 12 of the Sookie Stackhouse novels. I was a fan of True Blood and decided to see how different the books are. Well, very different is the answer! I’m on Book 12 so obviously, I’m enjoying them.
It can be really hard to just be sitting there with your thoughts, doing nothing, and not feel bad about it. I’ve been thinking a lot about why it is that we feel so badly about just sitting down, being present, and doing nothing. It’s one of the best things you can do for yourself.
Can we talk about Instagram?
I understand the importance of social media, but when I begrudgingly open the Instagram app I can’t help but roll my eyes a little. I know there are pros and cons to Instagram, but I’m not sure the pros outweigh the cons. And I’m not just saying that because I don’t have tens of thousands of followers. I just think that once you get there, and even those with followers in the millions, it’s only because you’re posting your entire life to Instagram. Every second of every other moment, maybe. I just don’t have the bandwidth to do that, and it seems like that’s what folks are interested in.
In the past, I used to spend several hours on Instagram. At some point, I deleted the app from my phone and the time I spent on the app decreased tremendously. I felt happier, more productive, and I was definitely in a better headspace. I say all that to say, I guess I don’t really know what I want from the app or why I even continue to use it. Some part of me likes seeing those hearts appear when someone likes a picture of myself that I’ve posted. It’s sort of leads me to believe that it’s all a vanity exercise. Which is fine! As my partner says, “I’ve never met a mirror I didn’t like” — I just wish it didn’t take me this long to figure that out.
I also wonder if limiting myself to one thing (beauty) leaves me bored and uninspired. People are made up of more than just one interest, and from what I’ve seen, Instagram accounts must do one thing very well before they can delve into other things. I’m dabbling in home decor and other things that I find beautiful and interesting (mostly just in my stories). I’ll see how that works for me.
Lastly and randomly, has anyone tried these Belgian Truffles from Trader Joe’s? I received these as a goodbye gift and I’m about to rip into them. I almost don’t want to because the packaging is so pretty. But I want what’s inside!
Talk soon. Enjoy!
