Imagine a world where you can remain home and simply be a witness to the instant dissipation of your own stress through the air. A world where the elimination of all the work and societal-induced tension has simple solutions that will ensure your aura isn’t clouded by an overhanging gray cloud of disturbance and irritability. That world is a girl’s self-care day, one that you too can make your own.
A self-care day is simply a means to a very serene end. It’s a six-step process that heals our soul, distracts our minds, and melts those knots of anxiousness away by simply gleefully knotting our muscles up during our workouts.
Here are 6 ways you can attempt to de-stress like the girlies whilst still keeping the respected masculinity at bay, after all, boys don’t cry.
PILATES? NO, POWERLIFTING.
Ultimately, the go-to tactic for a good stress reliever would be a brutal gym session that not only numbs away the hamstrings, but also stuns stress. For women, Pilates is that sweet-spot of working smarter not harder to eliminate all our physical and mental qualms, but for men, it’s a tale as old as time, Endorphins up, Cortisol down. A gym is where stress goes to die.
SKIN CARE AND DON’T CARE
When you remove the stigma of skin care being for women, you’ll see it’s very soothing silver lining. Skin care doesn’t have to mean a sticky mask that finds its way lodged in your beard. The very essence of what allows us to enjoy a skin care routine isn’t necessarily the smooth end result, it is often the process that brings about serenity. Something as simple as starting off with a beard grooming session, submerging your face in a bowl of cold water, and applying an ice pack as you lay in bed will do the trick to keep those anti-aging effects of stress away.
WE HAVE CHICK-FLICKS YOU HAVE DUDE-FLICKS
We’re sure you’ve heard of Mean Girls. It’s not a chick-flick no, it’s a way of healing, it is a way of making life a bit more stress-free as we look upon the chaotic occurrences of fictional characters. It seems like a menial and extraneous task to have such an effect on constant stressors, but there’s nothing better than embracing the vengeance of treachery by Marlon Brando in The Godfather to aid you in disregarding your own calamities.
A RANT A DAY KEEPS THE STRESS AWAY
We know, we know, men don’t talk, they go to the gym and keep it moving, but have you ever seen what happens when a pressure cooker is left on for too long? It blows its top off. We’ve all been victim to an outburst or two and later come to regret the wince-worthy moments we replay in our minds. You don’t need to over-spill the contents of the cooker but a little tester to any taster will suffice, after all a pinch of salt goes a long way.
RETAIL THERAPY
It doesn’t have to be that Patek Phillippe Aquanaut that you dream of, but Confessions of a Shopaholic is relatable for a reason. Although temporary, the momentary excitement we get from material items are often enough to fill a void that needs instant restorative treatment. From the very comfort of your home you can get all of what your heart desires. With minimal effort you’ll shop till your stress drops.
BEAUTY SLEEP LIKE A MAN
Simply take that nap you have been pushing away, block the world out and seek your slumber early. The eight hour rule exists for a reason. Not only will you sleep the worry away as your subconscious musters up the most avoidant of dreams, but it will also ensure that you wake up refreshed and ready to take on a new day, and if not, well then at least you blocked out what ails you for a couple more hours.
Both psychologists and doctors have spent years attempting to scream out at us on the dire effects of stress on our physical and mental wellbeing. As girls, we listen. An opportunity to take a self-care day, keep our skin clear and block out the world, and you doubt that we would grasp at it? For one time, and one time only, we hope that our sacred secrets can be adapted to ease your mind.