A Little Self Maintenance
Why taking care of yourself doesn't have to feel like another thing on your to-do list.
Somewhere along the way, self-care became a project. A list of products, a schedule of appointments, a version of ourselves we are always about to become. It is no wonder it can feel like one more thing to get right.
Maintenance, not makeover
We prefer a smaller word: maintenance. The quiet, ongoing kind — the way you water a plant or mend a hem. Nothing dramatic. Just the ordinary habit of looking after what you already have.
It might be ten minutes with a warm cloth on your face before bed. Moisturising your legs while the bathroom is still steamy. Booking the appointment you have been meaning to book for three months, then letting it be done.
Keep it small enough to keep
The rituals that last are the ones that fit inside real life. Choose one thing this week. Do it slowly, and do it for you — not for the mirror, and not for anyone else's idea of finished.
That is all self maintenance really is: a little attention, given regularly, to the person you spend every day with.
