Personal Style As A Self Care Practice

Let me start by saying: I’m not a fan of the term ‘self care‘. Since it’s become so overused with generic associations — it feels meaningless.

What I am into, though, is feeling good about myself.

Because when I feel good, I am more confident to BE myself.

And this is how I want to show up — which happens more easily when I take care of myself.

S E L F C A R E

There’s that word again.

So even though i am not a fan of the term…

I’m a whole hearted supporter of what it stands for.

And one of my favorite ways to practice is through personal style because it’s so accessible!

Think about it — you’re engaging with your wardrobe everyday, why not make it mean something?

Keep reading to see how!

The Most Productive Self Care Practice

If you do a deep dive into self care (I don’t expect you to!) you’ll see there are multiple forms to enhance your well being. So if you’re a high performing female — like me — who prides herself on getting the job done, you will LOVE how your personal style tackles many of the self care types.

In one morning — before 8am — you can:

✔️ Turn on your creativity and step outside your comfort zone (mental self care)

✔️ Pay attention to your self talk and how you see yourself (emotional self care)

✔️ Put on “feel good” fabrics next to your skin (physical self care)

✔️ Get excited to see the people around you (social self care)

Or if you’re more of a night owl, then recall that time you were getting ready for a fun party. Maybe you danced. Perhaps you were inspired and put on a dress that makes you feel sexy. And you paired it with a belt you’ve never worn before. Couple this experience with the anticipation of partying with people you love, and you’ve elevated your vibe!

So whether it’s for work or date night — personal style can get the job done…it’ll help you feel good about yourself!

Everyday Isn’t Rainbows And Sunshine

But let’s be real, sometimes feeling good isn’t in the cards. That’s when you use your personal style practice to feel less bad. Or even lift you.

About a month ago I was away from my family for a week while styling a commercial. When I returned from the job, I (foolishly) assumed everyone would want to hang out with me. WRONG! Teenagers got teenage-y things to do, and DH also had plans. I was alone!

What started out as a way to distract myself from feeling bad (“I’m lonely and I need something to do so I’ll organize my closet”) evolved into an exploration of self. I let go of clothes that were no longer me which got me thinking deeper about who I want to BE and what that looks like.

My closet purge gave me something positive to focus on, and ultimately brought me to my self care goal of BEing more of myself.

The Trickle Down Effect

Did you know YOUR self care practice also helps those around you? I learned about this when I was into yoga. It has to do with everyone being connected which never really landed for me. It wasn’t until I saw the direct impact on my family — when I feel good about myself, I’m nicer. It’s as simple as that. I call it the trickle down effect because when mom’s happy she can make everyone else happy.

There’s another component to this though…

Recently, my daughter was upset about something, but didn’t want to talk about it. She preferred being in her room. About an hour later she came out with a garbage bag of clothes to donate. I looked at her drawers and her clothes were neatly folded into rolls!

Like mother like daughter! (Although I don’t roll my clothes.)

How To Practice Personal Style?

So now that I’ve made my case for personal style as a self care practice, you may be like, “Yeah ok. I get that self care can make me more confident to be myself, but how do I do this?”

Simple.

Like every personal practice, begin with intention. Be thoughtful about your choices relating to your style, and make every action a bid to know yourself deeper.

This includes the tangibles like:

✔️ Getting dressed

✔️ Shopping

✔️ Closet purging

And the intangibles like:

✔️ Your identity

✔️ Your self image

✔️ Your relationship to your stuff

The path of personal style starts with self discovery and it’s through knowing yourself that you can love yourself and BE MORE of yourself.

But it’s not about hitting goals, or checking off boxes.

It’s about who you are BEING on the way to these goals…

This is the practice.

It’s how your personal style becomes effortless, as it’s a natural expression of who you are.