Stressful Days and Self Care

Today was one of those days.

It's rainy and unseasonably chilly outside. Work was stressful and hectic. I had to go to the dermatologist to have a cyst removed from my head (and now get to sport some lovely sutures).

Not exactly the best Thursday ever.

But, there is one redeeming factor. I don't have anywhere to be this evening, and can finally take some time for a little R&R.

There is nothing better than treating yourself to a little TLC at the end of a less than perfect day. Sometimes you might get lucky and manage to have several hours of uninterrupted free time. Sometimes you may only get 15 minutes. Either way, I think it's really important both for your physical and mental health to practice good self care. You owe it to yourself!

One of my favorite ways to start out a relaxing evening is to slather on a purifying face mask. A few weeks ago I snagged a sample of Glamglow Super-Mud Clearing Treatment from Sephora, and figured now was a perfect time to finally try it out. I have heard so many good things about this mask and it's ability to magically suck all of the crud out of your pores, leaving you with soft, radiant skin. One of the most fun (and maybe a little gross) things about this mask is that when it dries completely, you can visibly see your pores, and the oil and such that has been sucked out of them. There's something weirdly satisfying about it (kind of the same way one might obsessively look at the gunk that's left behind on those biore pore cleansing strips). For a first time use I did find that my skin felt super soft and refined afterward. I'm curious to see how it affects your skin with long term use.

Mask-ified!

Dragon's Egg Bath Bomb

While my mask was drying I decided to take a nice long soak in the tub. I'm a strong believer in the power of a good bubble bath. They always seem to make even my worst days a little bit better. Unfortunately I am fresh out of my stock of LUSH bath bombs and bubble bars, so I had to do without tonight. When it comes to bath taking, the addition of one of these LUSH goodies gives you the ultimate experience. One of my absolute favorites is the Dragon's Egg bath bomb. It's got a delicious citrusy scent, and turns your ordinary bath water into a orange, glittering pool of silky amazingness. It's kind of pricey when you consider that it's a single use product. But it's SO worth it for special occasions.

I continued on the relaxation trend by making myself a post-bubble bath cup of tea. Tea is another one of those things in life that I'm mildly obsessed with. Somewhere along the way I discovered loose leaf tea, and have been hooked ever since. Tonight I decided to go for a cup of Earl Grey Creme, one of my Teavana staples. It's got all the characteristics of traditional Earl Grey, but with a sweet vanilla note.

It's just so delicious. And compared to a lot of other Teavana teas, relatively affordable.

And at this point I'm snuggled up in bed drinking said cup of tea and blogging away! I contemplated adding mani/pedi to the evening's activities, but at this point I am feeling quite tired and my head is starting to feel pretty sore, so I think I might just pass tonight and go to bed early instead.

What are your favorite ways to take care of yourself when you're feeling stressed, tired, or otherwise less than 100%?

For some other ideas and general inspiration for living healthy, check out my pinterest board!

I've got quite a few other posts in the wings, so hopefully I'll be updating again soon. Until then, stay happy, stay healthy, and stay gorgeous :-)

Lauren