It’s a well-known fact that women the world over tend to put others first. Born nurturers and caregivers it is in our nature to want to see others happy. This in itself is wonderful, but not at the expense of our own well-being and self-care.
Co-founder and CEO of lifestyle and wellness website Well+Good, Alexia Brue says, ‘Taking care of yourself and making sure your own batteries (and not just your cell phone’s) are getting continuously recharged is really important to be effective at work and contribute to societal change.’
Closer to home, skincare brand Clere shares these same sentiments. A long-time advocate and supporter of self-care, self-love, and strong, independent women, Clere understands that self-love, the purest form of love, should be celebrated, always, and the best time to start is now, during Women’s Month. The brand’s well known ‘Spread The Love’ and ‘Show More Love’ mottos speak volumes to how we should love our whole selves, and not just certain parts.
Su-Marie Annandale, Clere brand manager, shares some fab tips to help you prioritise self-care:
- Be kind to yourself – You are doing the best you can. Stop comparing yourself to others. Run your own race and be kind to yourself.
- Keep it real – If your to-do list (whether work or personal life) is overwhelming then why not each evening identify the top three things you want to achieve the next day? Breaking it down into small, achievable steps will ensure you tick things off and feel a sense of achievement.
- Feed your soul – There’s nothing worse than feeling run down or ill, and then exacerbating that by feeding your body with all the wrong foods. Plan your meals, and choose the foods that nourish you best.
- Speak to yourself with kindness – Spend a day listening to the way you speak to yourself. Is it in a positive, loving way? Or are you constantly beating yourself up? Even when you are feeling down, talk to yourself as you would your best friend on her worst day.
- Step back from social media – We love Instagram as much as the next person, but the constant bombarding of filtered lives is not conducive to a positive mindset. So put your phone down and enjoy some face-to-face time instead – all safety protocols in place, of course.
- Me, me, me time! – When was the last time you scheduled something for yourself? Take a long, warm bubble bath and lather yourself in a nourishing moisturiser after. Clere’s range of lotions and crèmes offer four unique formulations (Tissue Oil and Pure Glycerine, Triple Glycerine, Pure Glycerine Crème and Glycerine Gel), all available in different fragrances and catering to the different skin needs of each consumer. If me time to you is a workout session, then do that, or why not take the morning for a mani and pedi?
- ZZZzzzzz – The benefits of a good night’s sleep are endless. Make a concerted effort to turn the TV off at a reasonable time, or close your laptop, and enjoy seven to eight hours of high-quality sleep, including a few hours before midnight.
- What matters most – Living in a world so focussed on material possessions, it’s easy to get swept up in striving for what everyone else is looking for. A new car? A new dress? A perfect set of abs? These things are great if they matter to you, but just because they matter to someone else does not mean you need to add them to your priority list. Spend some time determining what makes you happy and go after those things instead.
All four Clere skincare formulations provide 48-hour moisturisation and contain Vitamins E & A. The Clere range of crèmes and lotions are available at your nearest retailer from around R21.99.
