Self-Care: Will Yoga Make All My Problems Go Away? (+ October 2020 TheraBox Review!)
Yoga. Meditation. Baking. These are just some of the words that come to mind when you think of the term “self-care”. The term refers to anything you do that is about you, for you and done by you. For some, it can be something as simple as watching Netflix. For others, it’s an elaborate 20 step skin care routine. It’s whatever makes you feel like you are taking time to care of yourself and let go of any negative energy around you.
Nowadays, self care is trendy. Influencers show off their yoga poses in heavily filtered and meticulously organized rooms filled with plants and fairy lights. Is any of this real? Is there any scientific research suggesting that self-care actually ‘works’, or have all my downward dogs been for nothing?
A study done in the United States with almost 500 psychology graduate students examined the link between self-care and perceived stress, and found that sleep hygiene and social support were significantly correlated with lower perceived stress levels. They also found a relation between perceived fitness and acceptance within a mindfullness framework and lowered perceived stress. Let’s break this down.
Sleep Hygiene- Questions asked in this study explored sleeping habits such as having a varied bedtime, bedding comfort and anxious feelings before bedtime. Results indicate that having a relaxing experience surrounding bedtime correlates with lower perceived stress levels. Self-care ideas related to sleep hygiene:
- Picking a bed time and sticking to it
- Getting comfy bed materials
- Putting your phone away 30 minutes before bed
- Meditating before bed to reduce negative emotions
Social Support- Research suggests that having a solid support system of loved ones can contribute to lowered stress levels. Self care ideas related to social support:
- Having scheduled hang outs/phone calls with friends and family
- Netflix Party (Google Chrome extension) with others
- Ranting to friends and being open to advice
- Cooking with loved ones
Acceptance Within Mindfulness Framework: A key significance that was found in this study regarding mindfulness and lowered stress levels was about acceptance- genuinely reflecting on one’s feelings and seeing them as valid. Self care ideas related to mindfullness:
- Meditation
- Journalling about one’s feelings (using journals with prompts could help)
- Song/poem writing
- Writing or reading daily affirmations
- Reflection apps (I use Reflecty from the App Store!)
Perceived Fitness- While this specific study found a weaker relationship between fitness and lower stress levels than anticipated, a plethora of previous studies indicate that it still has value when it comes to lowered stress. Notice how the term perceived comes into play here. It’s not about how much weight you have lost, or how many more reps you can do today. Perceived fitness suggests that just feeling as though you are getting some form of exercise can have positive effects on stress levels. Self-care ideas related to perceived fitness:
- Yoga
- Morning walk to the mailbox
- Fitness tracker
- YouTube workouts (my personal favorite is PopSugar Fitness!)
So, do I think that a face wash will cure someone’s depression? Will a FitBit make all of my school stress magically disappear? No, not at all. Self-care seems to factor into lowered stress levels. This does not mean that problems won’t exist. This means that by taking action, we have a say in how well we are able to handle problems. School is still going to kick my butt and the pandemic is still going to stress me out, but with the results of this study, I can utilize some tools to take the control out of my stressors’ hands and into my own hands. We can learn from this research that having lowered perceived feelings of stress can aid in feeling mentally stronger to tackle whatever is at hand.
October 2020 TheraBox Review
With all of that in mind, we now understand some ways in which we can tackle our stress. I am trying out a new form of self-care- the TheraBox! It is a monthly subscription that sends wellness goodies and therapist-curated activities straight to you! Each month comes with a theme. October 2020’s Lunar Box was my first go at TheraBox. I have to say- I am quite impressed.
Contents:
The October 2020 TheraBox came with:
- Manifesting Dreams Journal
- Stardust skies whipped body butter
- Rose quartz gua sha
- Charcoal face scrub
- Australian sandalwood natural incense and wooden holder
- Rose gold hydro-glow cream
- Peel-off face mask
- Firming toner
What I loved about the TheraBox is that it played on some of the results found in the study mentioned above. The journal and incense have been contributing to my mindfulness practice, while the skincare products have gotten me in the mood for bedtime. Rather than spending time on my phone at night, I’ve made a habit of taking on a relaxing skincare routine. Some of these products have even fostered social support- my siblings love using these products with me!
To me, this box emulates self-care for all the reasons listed above. However, what I also love is that it keeps me excited all month long as I look forward to not knowing what is coming my way, but anticipating that something relaxing is about to make my month that much better.
November’s Cozy box is already on the way, and I can’t wait to see what comes in it. If you are interested in TheraBox and have any questions, feel free to reach out to me in the comments or over email (brookestockhamer@yahoo.ca) and I’d love to answer any questions you might have, and send you a link for 10% off your first box!
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