Fashion as Self-Care and 5 Other Ideas

I’ve been thinking a lot about self-care lately. With the pandemic and civil unrest raging in the U.S., it’s hard not to let anxiety take over. Quarantine and isolation from friends and family make it hard to get some much-needed stress relief from the images and headlines that come up on TV and my phone’s news streams.

Looking Good Helps Us to Feel Good

Fashion helps me save my sanity by picking out outfits and getting dressed up for a regular weekend Zoom party I have with some friends who collect vintage accessories. There’s something about putting on makeup, doing your hair and stepping into a pretty dress that just makes you feel good, even if you’re only staying home. Fashion is a form of taking care of yourself that I think is vastly underrated.

Practicing Self-care by Stopping to Smell the Flowers

Another way I’m practicing self-care is by stopping to enjoy the wildflowers. Before the pandemic, I was always rushing off to work or to an event, and I never noticed them. Now I go for evening walks around the foothills and see them everywhere. So bright and cheerful, little daisies, poppies and mini sunflowers stare up at me with their bright colors. They help cheer me up on the darkest days. I also discovered some beautiful places filled with sunflowers and roses.

Colorado Sunflower Farms

This year I learned about the many sunflower fields around Colorado that bloom for two weeks each August. My husband stumbled across one, and we had to go capture this glorious sight in pictures. I put on my brightest vintage-style sundress, sun hat and yellow Converse high top sneakers to pose with these natural wonders.

There were giant sunflowers as far as the eye could see and we caught them just at the golden hour before the sun began to set. It was absolutely magical.

A note about visiting sunflower farms: these are usually private property. Farmers grow them for their livelihood, not your entertainment. Most owners don’t mind you taking photos if you stay on the edge of the fields. Do not touch or trample the flowers and NEVER cut and take them. Going into the fields can result in a fine. Also, a word of warning – there are lots of bugs and bees in the fields, so Mother Nature may also sting you if you misbehave.

After our visit, I bought a pretty vintage sunflower brooch on Etsy as a memento of the day and ordered a bouquet of sunflowers with my grocery pickup to have at home (and create the photo with my sneakers).

La Vie En Rose – The Rose Garden of Jefferson County

Near the Jefferson County Sheriff‘s office in Colorado is a quaint public rose garden. It’s open to the public and features lots of different colored roses, a gazebo, benches for relaxing and little babbling streams.  

I had to stop and smell the roses one day. I had the perfect rose-pattern vintage reproduction dress for it. So I got dressed up, and off we went to take photos.

5 Ideas for Self-Care in These Trying Times

1 Go for walks – Nothing relieves stress like getting out for some fresh air. Find a few routes to change the scenery and try to take in some nature if you have a park nearby.

2 Take a bubble bath – Dipping in warm water and just taking time to be still is such a calming experience. Add some pleasant-smelling bath oil or bubbles for an aromatherapy experience.

3 Give yourself a facial – I miss my visits to the spa but I still don’t feel it’s safe to go yet. So I purchased a few home facial mask treatments and do it myself once in a while. I added a rose quartz roller to really make it feel like a pro spa session.

4 Read –I found escaping into a book is a great way to relieve the stress of reality. Try reading while you eat lunch for a mid-day break or before bedtime to help you sleep better.

5 Watch the sunset – When I first moved away from home, I would go watch the sunset in the Hollywood Hills every day. I’d dream about who I wanted to become. Now I watch it from my deck and think about how far I’ve come and where I still want to go. Sunset watching is a great time to wind down and reflect as you wait for a new day.

If you’re really struggling with your emotions, there’s no shame in asking for help. Call a friend, talk to your manager at work, use your job’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to find a therapist. There are also many affordable to free hotlines available to talk to someone. The National Suicide Hotline is available anytime you may need it: 800-273-8255. Trust me, you are not alone. We are ALL having challenges adjusting to this difficult year.

I hope you find these self-care tips helpful. Do yourself a favor and make time to stop and smell the roses, literally if you can. It’s one way we can feel like we have a little bit of peace and control in our lives.

Until next time,

Kastle

 

Tags: Ideas for self-care, Kastle Waserman, Kastle Wasserman, roses, Self-care, selfcare, sunflowers, vintage fashion