Monday Wellness Journal – Week 1

Firstly, I would like to explain the purpose of this post. I think for almost every person, Mondays are difficult. Weekends are so good and relaxing that going back to work seems like a very hard and unpleasant task. So, each Monday, I plan to post a short article on beautiful life aspects we observe when we take a break. My inspiration for this post Monday wellness journal post will be my experience on the Monday of the previous week.

Theme of the week: Self-care and beauty are everywhere if we take a break to notice.

Last Monday, I treated myself to a facial treatment that I will talk more about in a separate post in the beauty category. What I want to talk to you about is the journey to the beauty clinic. I have always hated buses as they are dirty, smell really bad, and are usually very crowded. The underground is crowded too, but at least people in it wash more frequently. However, this time, I decided to take the bus. After putting away the book I always carry with me to read on public transport (apparently, I have motion sickness on the bus, but not on the metro), I started looking at the people around me.

Most people on the bus were old. However, I couldn’t stop observing how much care they had put into their physical appearance. Young people and adults on the bus mostly wore casual dresses and did not wear any makeup. Most of them also had severe skin problems related to acne. Nevertheless, the old people were almost all dressed elegantly. The old men looked very gentleman-like, wearing suit jackets and pants, and nice shirts. The old women were real ladies, and I felt like I was traveling through time when I noticed that most of them wore skirts. And red lipstick.

I was so surprised to see how most of them wore red lipstick as the only piece of makeup. And I couldn’t remember the last time I wore a skirt myself. Pants and nude-colored lipsticks are an important part of my life and the lives of most women my age. I felt like I was transported back in time, to an era where everything related to physical appearance was carefully considered. When grace and elegance were part of everyday life. When good manners and social etiquette were normal, not outdated.

Just that splash of red color on the lips of the old women on the bus reminded me of how much of a difference a simple 1-minute self-love per day can make. Those ladies were standing straight, smiling, and looking carefree. They loved their bodies regardless of the wrinkles and fine lines.

So, I started to think even further. When and why did we forget to do this small daily gesture of self-care? We seem to take care of our appearance nowadays only when we have a good reason to. And good reasons seem very hard to find. Only special occasions qualify for that, not daily events like a trip on the bus. Looking at those old people on the bus, I realized my generation forgot how important self-care is in its hurry to accomplish as many tasks in as little time as possible.

Five minutes per day is not a long time to waste if self-care is the reason. Wearing a skirt is not an antique piece of fashion. Red lipsticks are not a sign of narcissism or a wish to stand out at any cost (my favorite is the one from Dior). They are all a sign of self-love, self-care, and self-kindness, which I, for one, will start practicing more often. And I will take the bus more often to find inspiration in the older generations. It definitely manages to put a smile on my face and give me a good mood for the day.

Love,

Cosmina.

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