Romanticizing My Life As An Act of Resistance
This past year we saw an important social media trend arise: romanticizing your life. As a Black woman, scrolling through TikTok and seeing other people of colour share how they find rest and solitude is beautiful. For those of us who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour), and other traditionally marginalized groups including the LGBTQ+ peoples, our rest can be a radical act of resistance.
In a society that demands that we're always on, from fighting daily microaggressions, to finding psychological and even physical safety that our identities are threatened by, choosing to prioritize our rest is radical.
The idea of romanticizing your small acts of self preservation, from a bubble bath in the middle of the week to an indulgent cold brew every morning, is a great reminder of how important these acts can be. Romanticize by making the smallest act an intentional and enjoyable one.
Here are some ways that you can romanticize your daily life
1. Define a custom nighttime routine and dedicate time for it (yourself) nightly
It may not be realistic for your schedule and lifestyle to set aside time for a bubble bath every single night, but you can romanticize your daily routines. Create a customized facial routine, even if it's only 5 - 10 minutes that you're dedicating to yourself. Try out our award winning Raw Blue Agave Rejuvenation + Hydration Mask, topped off with our Moroccan Rose Facial Toner: Vitamin Complex.
2. Immerse your home in your favourite scents
Creating a signature scent for myself and for my home has become such a luxurious experience. Before one of my 8 dozen zoom calls during the day, I light one of my favourite candles, the Buck Naked Soap Company Old Fashioned Coconut Wax Candle. Filling my workspace with the soft musky ss cent of lavender, vanilla, vetiver and cedar feels warm and cozy. The natural crackling of the wooden wick is comforting and give me a moment of feeling like I'm luxuriating in a chalet... and not stuck in my inbox.
Creating a morning routine that actually requires getting dressed for the work day, even if it's spent in my own home, also provides some normalcy. Pairing my workwear with a signature scent, using the Moroccan Rose Crystal Infused Perfume Oil has become a part of my morning work routine.
3. Learn what your skin loves and invest in that
Investing time into your skin's health can be an enjoyable and educational self-care routine. Taking the time to understand your skin concerns and goals, while researching the ideal ingredients to achieve these, is so damn rewarding. The truth is, I'm not in high school anymore. Grabbing any random product off of the drugstore shelves, without having any specific goals will no longer work for my skin. Buck Naked's all-natural face care products use the benefits of witch hazel, rose and magnolia waters, and aloe vera to name a few.
4. Find a habit that has nothing to do with productivity and everything to do with resetting
Repeat after me, rest is not something that you need to earn. You need rest. Please find rest in whatever capacity is available to you. That could look like a 15 minute nap when possible, a bubble bath with a face mask, a free 15 minute consultation with a therapist, or blasting some of your favourite nostalgic tracks.
20 comments
Always unwind with a bubble bath, candles, and my fav music! Nothing beats it 🥰
My evening routine is about turning off screens in order to focus on myself. I practice mindfulness while breaking down to the kitchen. I go through my skin care routine and then curl up in bed with a good book.
I have a bedtime routine which includes my essential oil diffuser, guided meditation and sounds of a rainstorm. Sleep is incredibly important to every type of functioning the next day.
I really enjoy food so making sure I prepare things I adore makes meal times special. Then I live to read before bed, I find it relaxing both for my mind and body. Sundays are my physical self care day, nails, hair and face mask and a bath.
I like to have a hot shower followed by reading or Netflix 🙈and then Soundscapes on Calm. Highly recommend.
A warm bubble bath using the best salts & essential oils. Spa music playing in the background. Relax & breathe in the scents of the oils. Slather on luxurious body butter right out of the bath before slipping on something that makes you feel sexy.
Planning an evening after work where i can relax in a bath after some herbal refreshment and listen to a podcast or watch some fluff and not worry about real life :)
I’ll try to meditate for 15 minutes every day. I feel that this helps clear my mind and bring up my vibration. I tried to be positive, which is tough when you have kids.
Start the day my choosing my favourite coffee mug and making a fancy latte or cappuccino. Work from home life so why not?!
I have young children so I need to keep it short but meaningful for me. I do my night bath + skincare routine when I’m sure I won’t be interrupted and I read a book when the kids are asleep.
When my sons go to sleep. My husband and I make a delicious coffee and watch a movie. We love to snuggle and probably fall asleep on each other. This would be wonderful because I know I need some me time!
I like to apply a mud mask to my face, relax with a good cooking show then take a nice hot steamy shower to wash away the stress of the day.
Candles and cozy blanket !!!!
I’m working on developing a morning walk routine with the dog. It was something I loved in the past as it was meditative and freeing.
Me time : everyday, as soon as I wake up!
Every morning, I set aside the 1st 15-20 minutes to mediate, then journaling. After that, I have a good sweat sesh and make myself a healthier, nourished breakfast, and continue on with my day🥰!
Definitely romanticize with candle scents in my home (depending on the holiday season) and taking naps whenever possible to refresh!
Me time! Every day.
Whether it’s a work out, online yoga class, meditation or even skipping my work out to have a bubblebath, I’ve gotta have that me time :)
I can’t Power Nap (can’t fall asleep) so I lie down and listen to audiobooks with a blanket all the way over my head so that I’m productive but also don’t have my mind spinning while I’m trying to get some calm.
Also I take a bath 2-3x a week- a mix of salts, bombs, melts, and bubbles any given day depending on my mood. :)
Every evening, once my kids are in bed. I put on my blanket hoodie, make myself a cup of my favorite flavored coffee and watch TV with my husband. We sometimes light a scented candle or share a special snack. This not only helps us to unwind from our day but helps us to reconnect as a couple.
I unwind from the day by listening to a really good, and usually descriptive, audiobook before bed each night.