Certain things in life are non-negotiable. That could mean something as big-picture as your personal finance rules, or something as minor as what kind of wine you order with dinner. Here's the thing: Neither of those things are trivial, nor is anything in between. We all have likes, dislikes, preferences, and routines that we refuse to budge on — and we shouldn't have to apologize for that.
Some might call this "self-care." And while the term itself has been watered down to mean lots of things (some more serious than others), sometimes a person just has to do something for themselves while actively deciding to forgo guilt.
A lot of people have their own version of this. So we asked R29 staffers to share the one thing they always make time for, even if it isn't considered a "necessity." From manicures to doing laundry on Sunday no matter what, these are the things we'll never feel sorry about doing for ourselves.
When you're done reading, share your own non-negotiables in the comments.
It’s 2017, and yet women are still fighting for equality. Data suggests it will take until 2152 to close the gender wage gap, but it shouldn’t take a century to get what we want. We want more, and Refinery29 is here to help — because 135 years is too long to wait for what we deserve today.
"I will totally turn down invitations to important events on Sundays if it means I can't complete the crucial Sunday-night trifecta I like to call 'Clean sheets, clean PJs, clean girl.' I have to do laundry to make sure my sheets and pajamas are fresh, and I have to take a shower and wash and dry my hair before bed. It feels so good and helps me start the week on the right foot. I'd never apologize for that!"
-Anna
"Sleep. Even when I was a kid, I would fall asleep at sleepovers, and it used to make me so embarrassed. But now, I just do it whenever I need to, which is always."
-Cory
"Taking JetBlue Mint when flying a red eye back from the west coast. No apologies."
-Kelly
"I'm always running errands and grabbing drinks around the city with friends during the week, but when it comes down to it, nothing makes me happier than coming home, smoking weed alone in bed, and watching my favorite stoner shows on my laptop. I always block out at least one day a week to be able to do this, because it makes me so happy and really relaxes me after a stressful day/week/whatever's happening in my life. I have to make time for it, or I'll go crazy."
-Mary Jane
"Driving a car in NYC on weekends instead of taking the train!"
-Alex
"I have stopped drinking red wine, even though everyone I'm with always orders it over white. I enjoy white wine, so that's what I'm ordering. Feel free to call me basic."
-Sarah
"Manicure. Weekly."
-Hallie
"My friends and I have a saying: You can be a 'princess' about one thing and not catch any shit for it. You can be a princess about sleeping, catching your favorite show live, anything. But I'm a yoga princess. I will wake up an hour early. I will delay dinners. I will rearrange my shower schedule. If it lets me squeeze in a class or at-home yoga practice, I'll do it. Namaste, haters."
-Jenn
"Every single day at precisely 2:30 p.m., I drink one Starbucks Iced Vanilla Latte with extra ice. The price has gone up, and it comes to about $1,900 a year, but I wouldn't trade the delicious rush for anything."
-Rachel
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