Assignment 20 - Isabella Matthews

Self care is a pretty big part of my life and it continues to grow in it's importance to me. The way I deal with the loads of stress and anxiety that come from school, work, family, friends, activities, etc. is by relaxing and focusing on myself for a little bit.

Step 1: Come home from your incredibly tiring day. Maybe you had band practice till late at night or you had to go straight to work from school and then to a rehearsal or practice and then to a meeting of some sort. Perhaps watch a short youtube video or two. Take this as a moment to stop and take a breather. If you have homework assignments try to quickly take care of those so you won't have to worry about them half way through your relaxation process. You are home and the day is over and you got through it. Good job!

(Optional) Step 2: Depending on if you had dinner or not between (possible) various activities throughout the evening, you may be hungry. Cook yourself something to eat. Cooking and being in the kitchen can be very relaxing if you let it and you get to enjoy something that you made yourself. Even if you did already have dinner, maybe you could bake something! There are endless recipes and mixes you could use to make brownies, cookies, cakes, etc. Plus you would be able to enjoy your delicious treats with your friends tomorrow.

Step 3: Do a face mask. At one point I thought face masks were ridiculous but if you are trying to relax this would be a good way to do it. You could sit still and watch or read something while you wait AND you'd be able to help out your skin while relaxing.

Step 4: Take a shower or a bath (you don't need to know how to do this). If you are feeling like crap after a long day, being clean and smelling good can only make things better.

Step 5: Grab some popcorn, maybe some ice cream, and if you are like me then a cup of hot chocolate or some other sort of warm drink. Put on a good movie (I like watching Dead Poets Society when I'm in the mood to have a relaxing night) and settle in with your treats and a bunch of blankets.

Repeat once a week for optimal results and a less stressed out brain or as often as needed/desired.