Self Care Tips from My Cat, Max

Does anyone else enter a three day weekend super excited for all the possibilities that an extra day can bring? Then wham! You realize that extra day or not, you rather sit on the couch and use all that time to scroll on your phone and catch up on your shows.

Three day weekends come with a ton of pressure for me, especially living in Washington DC. Living in the city means there's always something going on, especially around holidays like Memorial Day. My weekends typically start off with ambitious intentions, but by Saturday afternoon I accept the fact that an extra day doesn't make me wanna be a couch potato any less.

If three day weekends or major holidays give you that same feeling of anxiety due to fear of missing out, then I've got the solution for you.

Pet Magasin was kind enough to provide the cat hammock to me for review. Unreliable reviews suck, which is why I (or Max) would never recommend anything we didn't actually use or enjoy. 

Meet Max, he's my adorable cat, who gives me the side eye every time my boyfriend and I argue about what we're going to do today. Here's the thing, Max has no sense of time, or three day weekends, or feeling of having to do fun activities because that's what all the cool cats are doing. His chill as hell attitude is what we should all strive for during the weekends, especially because his life is one long self care routine.

If you need to chill out for a second, keep reading to see how Max manages to enjoy every moment, inspiring my boyfriend and I to emulate his self care practices.

Get enough sleep

This seems simple enough but so many of us deprive ourselves of enough sleep on a daily basis. I get it, Instagram is fun and Law and Order SVU marathons aren't going to watch themselves, but the impact that not enough sleep can have on our mood and energy isn't worth it. There are apps now that can help you track how much sleep you need, plus it's the only self care act that requires no money or effort!

Stay active

Exercise doesn't have to be a thing we do only when we want to lose weight. Ever since I've started doing pilates, I've felt more upbeat and self confident. Has my weight changed? I have no idea, but my self-acceptance has increased so much. Do something that gets you moving, whether that's an at home workout or walking around your city.

You might also like: How to Stay Healthy If You Hate Working Out

Eat a balanced diet

Raise your hand if you're guilty of eating food that only leaves you feeing gross afterwards. Raising hand high. I'm nowhere near perfect at this, but I do my best to shop ahead to avoid last minute choices that I will later regret. Spend more time browsing the produce section, search for new recipes on Pinterest, or get inspired by watching what I eat in a day videos on Youtube. Yep, those are totally a thing.

Don't be afraid to indulge

Believe it or not, eating a balanced diet includes ice cream, cookies and french fries too! So many of us all into the trap of believing a balanced diet cant include all the things we love to eat, which is unfair to ourselves. If you're having a rough day don't be afraid to treat yo'self, one sugary sweet won't be the end of the world or your progress.

Did I mention sleep?

Max seriously motivates me to relax more, bonus points if there are sun rays hitting me while I do it. While my studio life can't accommodate an adult hammock, it can fit a cat hammock. This week in the mail we received a hammock from Pet Magasin for Max, and to be honest, I'm super jealous.

If you love to spoil your cat at least half as much as me, this is a great option for your cat's birthday or their adoption anniversary. Or am I the only one who celebrates those days? Apart from being obsessed with the giant Amazon Prime box it arrived in (typical cat behavior), Max soon after realized this was another item in the house he could curl up on and cover with hair.

Setting it up wasn't hard at all, all I used was a screwdriver and a few cat treats to keep the him away while I worked. Once it was done Max took a nap on it immediately, which was surprising since he's scared of most new things. If you wanna get your cat a hammock just like this one, you can get it in two days with Amazon Prime.

Okay, so back to your self care. Since most of us can't have a hammock in our homes, my suggestion is you pick something up that makes your relaxation time feel extra special. Whether it's a comforter you never wanna get out of or that fancy pillow you always touch in the store but never buy. Just do it! Trust me, you won't regret it.

You might also like: 10 Amazing Ways Getting a Pet Changes Your Life

Pamper yourself

Max is no stranger to kicking his legs up and giving himself a good pamper session, even with company over. Literally. Most of us are probably a bit more self conscious than that though, so you can tone it down a bit by testing out one of those new sheet masks, taking a bath, getting your nails done or faking a suntan. Indulge in something you wouldn't typically do, because the boost in mood and confidence will last you much longer than you'd expect.


How do you take care of yourself? Do you involve your best friends, furry or not, or is it more of a solo activity for you?