What are some of your self-care rituals?
Shantanu Mehra:
Self-care for me is more about the small, mundane things that keep me and my body healthy. My self-care rituals include getting a good night’s sleep, eating clean and healthy foods, working out daily, and staying hydrated at all times.
Nikhil:
One of my favorite ways to practice self-care is by following my skincare routine daily. After my shower, I start with a toner, followed by a light, water-based moisturizer to hydrate my skin. Then, I apply a bit of sunblock. I also use a hair serum on damp hair for extra nourishment.
How has your self-care routine evolved and what influenced it?
Shantanu Mehra:
Earlier, I never truly paid much attention to self-care. However, about a year ago when I turned 50, I had a sudden realization that I needed to stay healthy. This realization helped me regulate my sleeping habits, and I started weight training to strengthen my endurance, which was previously missing in my life. A bonus perk of my new routine was the glow on my skin that came from practicing regular self-care.
Nikhil:
Over the years, my self-care routine has increasingly focused on skincare, which wasn’t the case earlier in my life. It took me a while to become diligent about my skincare routine. One major factor that influenced my love for skincare was the trauma my skin experienced from constant sun exposure during my younger years when I played sports outdoors. Seeing the changing condition of my skin, I realized the importance of taking better care of it to avoid patchiness.
At what point did you consciously make self-care a part of your daily routine? What helped you make the shift?
Shantanu Mehra:
I have always been blessed with good skin, but as I mentioned earlier, after my 50th birthday, I developed an unwavering attitude towards staying healthy and living a more balanced life. In these uncertain times, the only thing we can control is how we take care of ourselves.
Nikhil:
After following my skincare regimen for a while, I realized that not only did it make my skin look healthier, but performing the routine also helped me unwind after a long day. Skincare became my personal self-care ritual. Since then, I made a conscious effort to practice it daily. Now, it’s second nature to me. Skipping my routine even for a day feels as uncomfortable as not brushing my teeth in the morning.
How do you feel when you don’t get a chance to practice your self-care rituals?
Shantanu Mehra:
I try to be as regular as possible with my daily routine and maintain my disciplined habits to the best of my abilities, as they have become instinctual. I truly believe there is no force on Earth that could make me give up my self-care rituals, except maybe the world coming to an abrupt end.
Nikhil:
I usually make it a point to practice my self-care rituals daily. However, on busy days when I am short on time, I might miss out on them. On such days, I feel irritable and upset because I value the time I carve out for self-care, which makes me feel valued.
What self-care practices contribute to your creativity?
Shantanu Mehra:
My healthy lifestyle deserves most of the credit for my calm state of mind, making my self-care rituals of utmost importance to me. My creativity is closely tied to my state of mind, so the healthier and more at peace I am, the more my creativity flourishes. Disrupting any of these rituals negatively impacts my creativity, while maintaining them allows me to tap into my creative headspace.
Nikhil:
I don’t believe creativity is directly dependent on self-care. However, there are activities I enjoy in my leisure time that provide the space and headspace I need to be my most creative self. Playing or watching sports and sketching are at the top of my list. In my opinion, self-care isn’t limited to vanity and skincare; it also includes expressing gratitude and making positive efforts to enhance the best parts of your life.
If you had a day to yourself, how would you spend it?
Shantanu Mehra:
If I had a day to myself, I would relax by the ocean, enjoying the sea breeze with plenty of suntan lotion on my skin. The sound of water is immensely rejuvenating for me. A day to myself would be all about unwinding and de-stressing, and there's no better way to do that than by the cool oceanside.
Nikhil:
If I had a day to myself, I would make a list of activities that I find most relaxing and peaceful and indulge in them throughout the day. My day would include a soothing massage, meditation, playing fun sports, and taking a motorcycle out for long rides—a good balance of both extremes.
Recommended self-care routine:
Shantanu:
- My favorite self-care ritual that’s free is sleeping on time.
- The self-care ritual that’s non-negotiable for me is working out daily.
- My skincare ritual that feels like self-care is drinking lots of water and staying hydrated all the time.
- I feel most cared for by myself when my vacations are centered around beaches and sand.
- A new self-care ritual I want to try is using 82°E’s Moisturizer with SPF 40 PA+++ while going in the sun.
Nikhil:
My favorite self-care ritual that’s free is meditation.
- The self-care ritual that’s non-negotiable for me is yoga.
- My skincare ritual that feels like self-care is a face massage.
- I feel most cared for by myself when I give myself time to think, ponder, and pause.
- A new self-care ritual I want to try is interesting masks.
