I took a shower and made it count
My dear friend and her lovely boys stopped by the salon this afternoon and took my very excited daughter home for a play date. Off they went on their bikes on this beautiful Brisbane spring afternoon to ride home for an afternoon of fun, play …… and an hour or so off for me. This time is rare and it made me stop to think about what my next move would be.
What did I do? The chores are piled high, the business list of to-do’s ever present. I took a shower and I made it count. I often reminisce about my younger years. How I took so much love and care of my body. How the shower was a place of relaxation and a caring regime from head to toe. In recent years, as I have become time poor, I am lucky to shower by myself ……. let alone make this a place of self care. It’s about getting clean now. As fast as you can.
Don’t get me wrong, I know the years of singing in the shower with my beloved daughter and washing each others hair while she makes me smoothies from bubbles and soap to buy from her ‘shower shop’ are limited, and I love them. I treasure those moments.
However, there is something completely invigorating from taking the time to care for yourself – in peace. To have the water wash over you and know that for a moment. It’s just about you.
It got me thinking about all the stories I hear daily in salon from busy people. Mums, workaholics, shift workers etc who find it nearly impossible to make time to care for themselves. I wanted to outline here what I talk about with them. My three points to getting your own ‘self care’ shower time back. I’m going to make more of an effort to practice these steps myself!
1. Your shower time is important
This is the place where we nurture and care for ourselves. Try not to dismiss it. Are you like me and remember when you took time to care for yourself with a few more steps than you have time for now? If the only time you get in the day for you is now, then treasure that. If this time is spent with your little ones, how can you teach them the principles of self care and to treasure this luxury? To have clean water to bath in every day. To look after yourself and take time to appreciate that. Food for thought maybe?
2. Visit your two dollar shop
Get a basket. A caddy. A vessel. Place in here all of your bath and shower products. I often hear stories of children that have so lovingly emptied the contents of a new favorite KMS bottle of shampoo into their bath or used their no tangle brush to be ever so helpful and ‘clean’ the bathroom. Put your items in a basket together and keep up high in a cupboard out of reach. Carry it in and out of the shower with you and make this basket your most loved products. The JUST FOR YOU basket.
3. Make it count
So, time is short. I understand that. Make whatever time count and maximize the results by using the right products. There are so many available now. 60-second treatments are a great example. Gone are the days of needing to wrap a hot towel over your hair to treat it, or indeed, sleep in a mask! 60 seconds. That’s all you need. In the time it takes you to wash yourself the treatment is done! Use the right shampoos, conditioners, cleansers, body washes that will work for you in and out of the shower and maximize that. Use the time wisely.
How do you use your YOU time? …… we’d love to hear if you have more tips and hints to share. If this story sounds like just what you needed to read right now, I say make a point to get back to the self care. It really does feel lovely J