Self-Care is the Best Care: 10 Ways to Take Care of Yourself During Bar Prep

If you’re scrolling through Instagram or pretty much any social media outlet, you’re likely guaranteed to come upon some variation of self-care activity being promoted by the bevy of social media influencers hired to promote the latest self-care craze. Whether it be taking an exotic vacation to clear your mind and decompress, attending a baby goat yoga class, downloading an app to speak with your own personal therapist in the palm of your hand or my personal favorite, trying out the latest K-Beauty product, the opportunities for self-care are endless, and I love every minute of it! Self-care was essentially the millennial mantra of 2018 and I eagerly hope that this craze will bleed into 2019 and become a permanent lifestyle facet for all generations alike.

So what do you do when you’ve perfected your favorite self-care routine, but you’re unable to squeeze it into your bar prep study schedule? In the alternative, what do you do when you have no idea what self-care is but your bar prep mentor tells you this thing should be an essential part of your preparation? In theory, the answer is pretty simple, you adjust your self-care routine to meet the demands of your bar prep schedule or you Google the definition of self-care and piece together a practical routine that works for your hectic lifestyle. However, in reality, this answer is easier said than done considering that during bar prep, a 24-hour period feels like an hour and 30 minutes at best. Furthermore, if we’re keeping it all the way real, a self-care trip to ride elephants in Thailand or a weekly massage appointment, is not typically within the average bar prep budget. But no need to worry because I’ve already done the heavy lifting for you. Below I’ve pinpointed 10 self-care activities that are efficient, uplifting and necessary for the soul, but most importantly, cheap! 

1. Positive Affirmations

One easy self-care task to squeeze into your bar prep schedule is utilizing positive affirmations. Positive affirmations are an essential step to attracting good fortune into your life, so why not give yourself some love and begin attracting bar prep success into your future? At the start of your bar prep journey I recommend writing down some things that you would like to see actualized throughout your preparation process. Write down as many as you can think of on sticky paper or small flashcards. Once you have these affirmations gathered, place them strategically throughout your home. Place them on the bathroom mirror, the kitchen fridge, your bedroom wall etc. I recommend placing these affirmations pretty much on any area that you frequent throughout your home. These affirmations could provide the simple nudge you may need in a moment of doubt and they will most definitely keep your mind at ease during this difficult process.

2. Drink More Tea and Less Coffee

Coffee causes anxiety and can negatively impact your health in many ways. During bar prep, you need not have any additional stressful sources contributing negativity to your aura. Therefore, one difficult but beneficial way to self-care, is to drink more tea and less coffee. Tea can help to reduce anxiety and if you’re worried about losing energy, give green tea or ginseng tea a try. Both teas can help you to remain alert and to ease your stress levels.

3. Meditation

If you have no time in your schedule for an hour long yoga class, how about giving meditation a try? There are many meditation apps that offer guided meditation sessions for 10 minutes or under.

4. Trouble sleeping?

Sleep is perhaps the most essential part of any self-care routine. If you have difficulty sleeping during the intensity of bar prep, how about listening to an ASMR bedtime story to distract your mind? Spotify has quite the collection of these stories, and I can speak from personal experience that they will knock you out in a heartbeat.

5. Engage in one Extended Self-care Activity Weekly that Re-energizes You

Although you may not be able to complete a detailed self-care routine on a regular basis during bar prep, I recommend having a cheat day in which you engage in one extended self-care activity that re-energizes you and enriches your soul. It doesn’t have to be anything difficult. In fact, something as simple as spending time with a loved one, getting a much needed mani/pedi, completing a hobby that gives you joy or attending a therapy session may do the trick.

6. Watch TV

At the start of bar prep, throw together a list of shows that require no brain cells to enjoy. After a difficult day of work indulge in one of these shows as a much needed stress reliever.

7. Read a Chapter

I recommend selecting a book for leisure at the start of bar prep and reading it incrementally throughout your preparation. Need suggestions? Give these two a try.

• Emotional First Aid
• Heart Talk

8. Self-care Checklist

Create a self-care checklist and challenge yourself to complete at least 3 action items daily. Then express gratitude for the items you completed.

9. Study Outside

Switch up your study surroundings and opt to complete some of your bar preparation outside. Immersing yourself in literal nature can do wonders for your focus and mindset.

10. Clean your Surroundings and Declutter your Mind

At the start of bar prep, I recommend doing a deep cleaning of your surroundings. Pay particular attention to the areas that you will spend most of your study time in. Realistically, I know this may be difficult to keep up as your study sessions intensify, but I think there is some benefit in at least doing a weekly scrub to refresh your study areas.

What’s your favorite self-care routine? Let me know and I can add it to a future posting. Good luck!