Self-Care

It is stressful being in academia, and I have exactly one month until my comprehensive exams, so I took  this day before the semester starts to take care of myself. I think it is vital for activist academics to take care of ourselves so that we can help others, even though it's so easy to forget self-care. Being a teacher can be draining on its own, but on top of being a graduate student, preparing for exams and going on the job market, it's so important to make sure we don't burn out. 

I took a long bath and used this homemade sugar scrub exfoliant, using two tablespoons of honey, two tablespoons olive oil, and four tablespoons granulated sugar. It felt delicious and worked great.

I'm sad that I wasn't able to attend FemmeCon with my friends, so I've been wearing this robe during my day of last-minute syllabus prep and self-care. It's my favorite new item for my pajama femme/lazy femme days:

Robe from Aupple Aupple on Etsy, glasses from Warby Parker

I took some time to organize my vanity in my bathroom (featuring wonderful art from the fabulous Definatalie.com) to make it easier to get ready before my early morning classes. In the mirror, you can see the reflection of my necklaces, which I put up on the wall to keep them organized, untangled, and also so I see them and remember to wear them.

My nail polish and hair brushes:

I love this Ugly Femme Pride postcard from Definatalie (with my face wash regime)

more of the same:

My jewelry and a drawing reading "Worlds Fattest Lady Doesn't Give a Fuck" (Definatalie again)

Having an organized vanity like this makes me feel fancy and makes it so easy to take care of myself during these stressful times.

What are your self-care tactics? Are you looking forward to getting back to school?