Article: The Little Self-Care Rituals That Make You Feel More Put Together
The Little Self-Care Rituals That Make You Feel More Put Together
Written By Neveen Wood
Feeling put together usually comes down to a few tiny habits. They take minutes and make me feel like I've got my life sorted, even on days when I definitely don't.
Start with your nails
My nails are the big one, and they stay short and tidy. Long nails look gorgeous on other people, but mine would snag on everything (and I mean everything). So short it is. They always look clean, and nobody can tell whether I had them done or did them at the kitchen table.
The at-home manicure isn't anything fancy. I file them into shape and tidy up the edges, and somehow that one small job makes my hands look like they belong to someone far more organized than me.
Cuticle oil at night is the habit I'd tell anyone to steal. I rub it in before bed and that's it. Ragged cuticles are what make hands look tired, and keeping them soft does more for how my nails look than any polish.
Hand cream, always
Hand cream is the other half of it. I keep it within reach, because if I have to go hunting for it, it doesn't happen. Soft hands plus tidy nails is a combination that makes me feel weirdly in control, which is a lot to ask of a tube of cream, but here we are.
A little treat after the shower
A body butter after my shower (any one you love the smell of) is something I look forward to now. I'll layer a perfume over the top so the scent hangs around longer.
It takes a couple of minutes - and a plain old shower turns into a bit of looking after myself.
Pop on a mask
A sheet mask is the lowest-effort way I know to feel like I've done something nice for my skin. You smooth it on and then just sit there for a bit, which is half the appeal if I'm honest. Nobody expects anything from you while you've got a wet paper face on.
A hair conditioning mask works on the same lazy principle. Comb it through after shampooing and leave it on while you get on with the rest of your shower. Your hair comes out softer, and it looks like you tried far harder than you did.
Why the small stuff works
None of this takes long, and that's why it sticks. On the days when everything else feels like too much, I can still do my nails and put on hand cream, and by the end of the week I feel more like me.
If you're only going to try one thing from this, make it the cuticle oil and pop it by your bed. Future you, with the nice hands, will be thrilled.
Neveen Wood is the beauty blogger behind The Neveen Edit (neveenwood.com), writing about skincare, K-beauty, makeup, fragrance, body care, female hair loss and hair toppers.
