25 Ways to Practice Self-Care
January is often an opportunity for renewal. But, for many of us, there was nothing fresh about the start of 2017. The things that made last year's election season feel so interminable haven't disappeared with the inauguration. And there's no relief in sight—just a long haul and a lot of work to be done. So let's be good to ourselves. But how do you carve out the time, space, and resources for self-care? In search of answers, we surveyed our colleagues and celebrity crushes, who find solace in everything from a pot of chai to a simple fruit crisp. The range of approaches is, in the end, the best and hardest thing about self-care: The only person who can really tell you how to do it is yourself.
Photo by Alex Lau1/251. I Write a Gratitude List
When my mind starts torturing itself, hamster-on-a-wheel style, I try to find the time to write a “gratitude list.” In a world obsessed with lists and rankings, this might seem like emotional BuzzFeeding, but I see it as an exercise in shifting perspective. It’s a place to express thanks for things like breathing, walking, a hot shower, morning espresso, Joni Mitchell tunes. (What can I say? The woman is a legend.) And the beauty of the gratitude list is that you can do it anywhere, anytime. It can be a five-minute activity, an hour-long meditation over a beer, or something that you keep in your mind and carry with you all day. —Lilli Sherman, special projects associate
Photo by Gentl & Hyers2/252. I Cook a Simple Pot of Beans
There’s something soothing about watching humble beans slowly simmer in a pot with olive oil, rosemary, onion, water, and whatever else is in my fridge. But, most important, I love the taste of the brothy elixir that results from the cooking process... and I often drink it on its own. Bean liquid, the new kombucha? —Carey Polis, editor, bonappetit.com
Photo by Alex Lau3/253. I Turn My Bath into a Japanese Spa
Baths are an easy escape. Door closed. Curtain pulled shut. But these days, my baths have to help me escape even further. When I discovered bath sachets filled with hinoki (Japanese cedar) shavings at a little shop in London, I was instantly transported. The scent reminds me of the cedar planks that I washed every afternoon when I worked at the Japanese meditation garden at Mount Holyoke College—and, later, the wood in the sauna at the Hotel Okura in Tokyo. In other words, automatically relaxing. I either used or gave away all my sachets, but I recently found more at Rikumo in Philadelphia. Happy steeping. —Christine Muhlke, editor at large
Illustration by Laura Callaghan4/254. Ask...Issa Rae of Insecure
"I typically make a hot toddy (using orange tea and Fireball Whiskey), lie out on my chaise, and listen to a podcast like The Read or Left, Right & Center, depending on whether I want to laugh or pay attention to what's going on in politics." Season one of Insecure is streaming on HBO Go.
Photo by Alex Lau5/255. I Eat a Bowl of Persian Sticky Rice
When I was a wee bitty child and suffering from a tummy ache or a cold, my mom gave me the same remedy each time: Persian sticky rice with salty yogurt. Unlike the painstaking process of the signature Persian rice known as chelow, this sticky rice—called kateh—is simply boiled in water with salt and oil until the rice absorbs the liquid. The resulting rice is slightly clumpy and a little heavier, and that’s why, to this day, I find it so comforting. Read on for Andy Baraghani’s Persian Sticky Rice recipe.
Illustration by Laura Callaghan6/256. I Turn to My House Meal
In a world filled with aspirational recipes and preciously staged photos, Tamar Adler finds that true comfort comes from replaying the same simple dinner...over and over and over again. Read Adler's essay.
Photo by Alex Lau7/257. I Bake a Fruit Crisp Just for Myself
Being a single 29-year-old woman living in NYC, there are only so many times I can withstand my deli guy’s amusement (i.e., judgment) as I make my weekly 10 p.m. Ben & Jerry’s purchase. But my life is not destined to be a "Cathy" comic strip. Enter: the crumble for one. (So long, deli guy.) This fruit crisp has all the decadence and comfort of a pie, with a third of the effort. All it takes are a few pantry staples, your fruit of choice, and 30 low-maintenance minutes. Read on for Lilli Sherman’s Fruit Crisp for One recipe.
Photo by Alex Lau8/258. We Smell Something Calming
Scent has effects that go beyond the nausea that hits you in the department-store perfume section. At BA, we can’t get enough of adorning ourselves, our homes, and (shhh!) even our offices with smells that just make everything seem...nicer. They might come from incense, candles, or a few drops of powerful oils, like this Monk Oil, Mother Mountain’s Mugwort Dream Oil, or Everyday Magic’s clary sage.
Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images9/259. I Ride My Bike to Work...No Matter What
Four years ago, I started commuting to work on my bike. It’s three miles each way from my apartment in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, to our offices at One World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. For 20 minutes in the morning and 20 in the evening, I’m on my time. I can ride as slowly or aggressively as I want. There’s no waiting for the subway. There’s no looking at my phone. There are no deadlines. On my bike, I’m in control. I’ve battled rain, snow, sleet, and, worst of all, selfie-snapping tourists crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. And I love every minute of it. —Andrew Knowlton, deputy editor
Illustration by Laura Callaghan10/2510. Ask...Randall Park of Fresh Off the Boat
"Lately I’ve been taking a lot of walks with my daughter. I recently got her a little red wagon, and she loves to sit in it while I pull her around the neighborhood. Sometimes we’ll talk about the things we see, or we’ll sing a song. But a lot of the time, we’ll just quietly move along, taking in the surroundings. Regardless of how hectic life gets, this walk brings me so much inner peace and joy. And I get to experience it with my favorite person in the world." Season three of Fresh Off the Boat is currently airing on ABC.
Photo by Alex Lau11/2511. I Drink So Much Oolong Tea
What I love about oolong is that it's a commitment: The flavor of the tea leaves intensifies with each steep (well, up to about eight rounds). Just when I think I'm coming to understand the flavor, the next tiny cup is different. While I don’t have a traditional gaiwan, I make do with a tea strainer, an electric kettle, Té Company’s oolong (my favorites are the light and floral Pouchong and dark and leathery Frozen Summit Vintage ’05, depending on my mood), and an Akio Nukaga pleated ceramic bowl. Together, they save me when I’m feeling a strong impulse to turtle. —Elyssa Goldberg, associate web editor
Illustration by Laura Callaghan12/2512. I Stopped Feeling Guilty and Started Taking Care of Myself
When does cooking serve a purpose, and when is it a distraction from actually serving a purpose in the world? Jia Tolentino goes back to her Peace Corps stint in search of an answer. Read Tolentino's essay.
Photo by Alex Lau13/2513. I Make a Big Pot of Chai
This year’s combative election season took our food director, Carla Lalli Music, back to an unlikely place: her ashtanga yoga studio and its unparalleled, gingery chai. Read the story behind BA’s Best Chai recipe.
Illustration by Laura Callaghan14/2514. Ask...a Meditation Expert
Take three breaths in and three out, extending longer on the exhalation. This tells your nervous system that things are okay. Do this as soon as you start to become tense—it’s easier to ward off anxiety than to stop it once it’s started. —Fran Calafatello, counselor, The Freedom Institute
American Stock/Getty Images15/2515. I Take a Break When I Need It the Most: At Work
I know what you're thinking. The time to take care of yourself is when you have time to take care of yourself. Bright-and-early Saturday morning yoga. Sunday afternoon hike. But that's not where my head's at. I'm talking 3:18 p.m. on a Tuesday. When you're sitting at your desk, ready to throttle your boss. Or quietly seething that your colleague got credit for something that your colleague totally didn't do. That's when you need to get up and walk away. And go do something. Anything. On such days, I head out for a coffee. Not because I need a coffee, but because I need to get out. I wander down to this little joint in a giant office complex on the Hudson River. And, then, instead of walking back to the office, I park it on a bench. And I just sit there. Breathing actual nonrecycled office-building air. Watching the ferries pull up to the dock. Because sometimes doing a better job means not doing your job at all. —Adam Rapoport, editor in chief
Photo by Alex Lau16/2516. I Administer Medicine Soup
The first thing I do when I feel the need to take care of myself is clean up my diet. I love to replace the shrimp in this Aromatic Medicine Soup with steamed chicken breast and add veggies, too. It's a great meal that leaves me feeling nourished. —Amelia Rampe, assistant food editor
Illustration by Laura Callaghan17/2517. I Realized That Money Can't Buy You Self-Love
It took Jenna Wortham a lot of trial, error, and trips to Sephora to figure out what actually makes her feel restored. Read Wortham's essay.
Photo by Peden + Munk18/2518. I Bake
When I’m stressed, I usually find a sweet, cozy recipe (like one of these 19 Healthyish Baked Goods) that can be eaten warm. I find that the smell of whatever is in the oven is like a giant blanket for my apartment.” —Sue Li, food stylist
19/2519. Ask...Susan Miller, Everyone’s Favorite Astrologist
"To really unwind, I used to borrow someone else’s baby. Now my daughter, Chrissie, has a baby—little Otis is nine months—and we do FaceTime. He can’t speak yet, so he just blows raspberries at the camera. On Sunday mornings, I steam my face with the Dr. Gross Skincare Steamer and then I put on a fresh mask; I like black tea or Vitamin Nectar or honey or rose—I have different ones that I rotate through. I try to steam and read the New York Times, but then my glasses steam up!" Find Miller’s forecasts at astrologyzone.com.
Chaloner Woods/Getty Images20/2520. I Take Myself Out to Breakfast
Treating myself to breakfast—I’m talking sit-down, not grab-a-bagel-and-run—is, for me, the equivalent of taking a deep breath. I’m carving out time for myself. I’m sitting down with a cup of coffee and the paper, or maybe a book, or maybe just my thoughts. It’s time that would be otherwise spent flicking through emails, hustling to the gym, or scheduling that overdue haircut. Breaking out of my normal breakfast routine (Greek yogurt, eaten on the couch, if you’re wondering) feels indulgent, as if I were on vacation. Because, for about 30 minutes, I am. —Meryl Rothstein, senior editor
Illustration by Laura Callaghan21/2521. I Listen to This Playlist
These 12 songs offer aural hugs, pats on the back, and the power to shake off stress whenever you choose to listen to them. —Quinn Moreland, assistant editor, Pitchfork
Photo by Matt Haas22/2522. I Cook Something I’ve Never Made Before
The process of following instructions precisely and carefully is so therapeutic, especially when the dish turns out perfect. Finals week during my senior year of college, I learned to make pâte à choux for cream puffs and mastered pain au chocolat because I was so anxious. Next up: kouign-amann. Then any of these 29 Recipe Projects. —Kate Fenoglio, design production associate
23/2523. Ask...David Remnick, Editor of the New Yorker
"I’m shit at self-care. I wish I could tell you I did an hour of meditation or stirred a risotto for 45 minutes. It would probably be good for my mental and physical health. I have a little office in my apartment, and I work late and early in the morning, so when I’m reading or editing or trying to figure out things in the world, I take a break by playing the guitar. And thanks to the splendors of YouTube, some 16-year-old kid in Norway knows how to properly play a Robert Johnson song, so I’ll learn that."
Photo by Elizabeth Jaime24/2524. I Surround Myself with Plants
Being from Florida, I spent the first 18 years of my life in high humidity amid lush greenery. That’s why I treat my Brooklyn apartment as if it were a mini botanical garden. Not only does it make for a pretty home, but surrounding myself with plants is how I find my inner peace. I’m not alone in this. “Green is associated with verdant fields and invokes thoughts of nature, which, for many, is calming,” says botanist Christopher Satch of The Sill in NYC. On a more scientific level, live plants are known to rid the air of nasty toxins. I love the look of fiddle leaf figs, monstera deliciosas, snake plants, and rubber plants—all of which you’ll find in my living room (pictured above). —Eli Jaime, deputy photo editor
Photo by Laura Murray25/25We Plank
Walk through the Bon Appétit art department on any given day, and you might find anywhere from three to ten people on the floor by their desks, planking. Yep, that’s right: in Boot Camp formation, for 90 seconds at a time, only minus the workout clothes and plus Beyoncé playing from a desktop computer. “It’s taking a moment to step away from whatever we’re doing, move actively, and refresh ourselves,” says senior designer Alaina Sullivan. “We do too much sitting and staring at the computer.” It’s like walking the long way to the bathroom to stretch your legs, only way more fun. —Emma Wartzman, assistant to the editor in chief
