Hello sweetlings, welcome to the Self-Care edition of Lessons from your 25-year-old Fairy Godmother. Today’s topic is none other than self-care.

Self-care is important for mental and physical health, and it directly relates to your relationships with other people. Self-care includes all kinds of topics, but for now here are a few topics that have been prevalent in my life as of late. As a music therapy major, I have been trying to finish up my last semester of course work before my internship.

In addition to working to complete a music therapy lecture recital which entails: a research paper of ten to fifteen sources and a forty minute Power Point presentation on my paper at a site that knows little to nothing about music therapy. Little to say I have brought these tips to life for my own use within the last semester.

So as your self-proclaimed fairy godmother, I thought I would share a few of my tips with you. Let’s dive in!

Sometimes you just need dessert for dinner.

On some of those blah days you just need a food hug; a little indulgence can do you so good. I have fallen victim many times of being too strict on myself, and that can leave one feeling sad and unexcited. So on those days, I buy myself some ice cream, or Oreos, or 2 cupcakes from Crave Cupcakes, go home to sit in front of my favorite show, and dive into my treat. They say you don’t deserve food as a treat because you’re not a dog, but it’s okay to be a fancy standard poodle every now and then.

Take care of your nails.

Even if you’re a guy, nail care is important. NO ONE wants to see gross nails that are too long or dirty. You’d be surprised at how many employers look at this when in an interview and how many people in general watch your hands as you use them expressively in conversation. Keep your nails trimmed and clean, the world will thank you.

When you feel like garbage, don't look like garbage.

So many times we wake up and feel like straight garbage. It's alright, we have all been there. The way to pull yourself out of the can is to not look like you feel like garbage. Wash your face, do your hair, and put on clothes that make you feel good about yourself. Grab yourself a hot drink. Then, force yourself to look in the mirror and say: "I am important, I am darn good looking, I am going to have an awesome day, and nothing will stand in my way." Looking good is a sure fire way to feel good, at least for a little bit while you handle your issues. Now go about your day feeling confident, at least until you get home and then you can get back into your PJ's and watch Netflix.

Take time to do nothing.

Everyone has their busy season whether at school, or work, or just life. You keep running and running, from this place to that place and you forget to give yourself time to decompress from the load. If you don’t settle for a second you WILL burn out. Ariana Huffington, the founder of Thrive Global, told Women’s Health Magazine that her top 3 keys to a healthier life were planning her day around sleep, taking time to meditate and disconnecting from her electronics during the day. These are practices we should all take up and hopefully we can become as bright eyed and successful as she is.

Go outside sweetie.

I feel like the mother from "The Sandlot" (1993) telling Scottie Smalls to go outside for some fresh air, but honey do you need it. I’d like to accredit my good skin to water and diet, but the truth is I’m sure it’s because I am outside a lot. Your body needs fresh air, your mind needs fresh air and your hair needs fresh air. Going outside for about 20 minutes a day has proven to increase short term memory, relieve stress, heighten mental energy, improve creativity, and other awesome things. You need to smell the roses sometimes, and you can’t do that indoors, so go outside for a few minutes and taste the freedom of being unconfined to walls.

Speaking of water…

You have got to drink more water, plain and simple. Water is good for every aspect of your being, and since our bodies are 70% water, we need to fill the river running within us as we lose water throughout the day. I suggest starting a drinking habit of dinking your water from a cute 24 oz bottle and posting on your Insta-story about it. Use social media as an accountability partner, when you put it on your story, drink the whole thing, or at least half of it. Then when you refill, do it again, try to do this at least 3 times a day, you’ll be at the average water intake goal in no time. Here is a # trend to motivate you. Happy drinking.

Last but not least... Read a book for crying out loud!

If you’ve ever said “I don’t like to read” it's because what you’re reading is probably not your taste. Everyone likes to read. Believe it or not, there are more types of books than the textbooks and manuals you’re forced to endure in school. There are poetry, fantasy, fiction, science fiction, romance, autobiographies, and many many other kinds of books. Being a part of the twenty-first century also means you can listen to books as they are being read to you. They stream right from your phone! Wild, right? Trust your fairy godmother, reading is good for your soul. Reading lets you escape reality by taking you to a place only your mind can see. Check out my article 37 Books… maybe you will find something you will like. If you don’t like to read I suggest fiction, and I also suggest an audio book for starters. I hope you find your escape.

It's so important that everyone have some go-to self-care methods. I hope that some of these make it onto your personal list. Until next time.