Men's Self-Care: The Essentials

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Self-care is an essential part of any person's life. A good routine can go a long way. Doing the most simple things can lead to big results. Self-care is a multifaceted concept that's different for everyone, however, there are easy things every guy can do to better their own self-care. Self-care is actively managing your own health to deal with stress, look better, and feel better. Many little things can get thrown to the wayside by men, simply because it's not taught or it doesn't seem that important. Again, every little thing counts, and there are some essential things many guys miss out on.

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First and one of the most important parts of self-care is hygiene. Hygiene is the first line of defense against getting sick, and having a good routine is essential to looking and feeling good. The first thing that comes with hygiene is figuring out your own needs. Is your skin or hair oily, or super dry? What hair type do you have? How often do you exercise? How can you improve sexual hygiene? How is my body unique? These are essential questions that every guy must ask before creating a routine that helps with hygiene. The biggest thing you can do is have a morning and night routine. First and foremost, is to wash your face. You want to find a good face wash that fits your skin type and do it when you wake up, shower, and before you go to sleep. Cetaphil was rated the best overall face wash for men by Men's Health, and it's only $9 at Walmart and has specific products for dry or oily skin but always do your own research and find what works best for you. It is also a good idea to get an exfoliant, this doesn't need to be used as much as a face wash for most men and can be done in the shower. Of course, it is important to brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes. It's also important to get a face and body lotion. Try and find a face lotion for your skin type that has SPF for protection from the sun. Not too much SPF, 15-30 should be fine but protection from the sun will really help later in life. Try and find a body lotion and apply that every morning and night. Cetaphil, Goldbond, and Alveeno all have great lotions and look for things such as cocoa butter, shea, butter, etc. It is a good rule of thumb to apply these mornings and nights and after your shower.

A great shower routine is also essential. Hair is something that needs more attention from men. Knowing when to shampoo and condition your hair is something that is needed in the shower. The curlier the hair the less to shampoo it. You can find a hair chart below which you can use to find your type of hair.

If you have hair in the 1-2 range it may be a good idea to shampoo every day to every other day depending on how oily your scalp gets. It may be a good idea to condition every other day or every two days if you have straight oily hair. The 3s and the 4s may want to shampoo once or twice a week while conditioning every day. Avoid brands with parabens and sulfates like Head and Shoulders and Irish spring. Also, find a body wash that is separate from your shampoo and conditioner and use a washcloth or loofah. Make sure to shower at least once and day and after sweating a lot.

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Exercise is an essential part of self-care, but it's deeper than just going to the gym. Find something you like to do, try different things, and find a workout buddy. Don't worry about what other people are doing. Being healthy comes in many forms and doing exercise that won't make you happy won't lead to results, consistency is dedication is key and happiness is needed to achieve that. Try and get a few hours of exercise in a week and it can be a great way to destress. Lifting, cardio, and yoga are all great ways to exercise but finding what you enjoy the most can really make the difference. Go on hikes, rent a bike, walk around campus, join a dance or boxing class, and just find something that you can do consistently and that makes you happy. It doesn't have to be super intense either, just get your body moving.

Self-care is something unique for everyone but some essentials are needed, especially for men. Find your own rhythm and try to stay consistent with a hygiene and exercise routine, at the end of the day consistency is key so keep to it and you see results.

Strike Out,

Writer: Dylan Kim

Editor: Raquel Gluckstern

Graphic Designer: Marisa Hart

Tallahassee