Skin care concept
A self-care day with Fabian Hart.
Tea and weight training in the morning, podcasts in the evening, and as much fresh air as possible in between… Fabian Hart shares how he cultivates moments of self care for himself in Hamburg. In this interview, the author – who uses his podcasts a platform for questioning traditional gender roles and redefining masculinity – explains how he finds strength through relaxation.
Modern times.
For me, life is about having the courage to get to know myself as well as possible, instead of constantly comparing myself or living up to others’ ideas. People are now beginning to reconsider and unlearn all of the behaviours, thoughts and feelings we’ve been programmed for, which I think is a really exciting endeavour.
Radical self care.
Each day, I try to be a good friend to myself. It’s not easy to practice tenderness in a world in which it feels like you have to be tough all the time. With all the news and events we’re constantly being bombarded with, it takes strength to give ourselves time out, to allow ourselves to be weak, to set aside time for relaxation. If we don’t practice radical self care, we can’t be there for others.
A morning stretch and a revitalising drink.
My morning routing is simple: I get up between 7am and 8am. I splash some warm water on my face. Then I make myself something to drink. A coffee, a herbal tea, and sometimes some freshly squeezed juice all at the same time. Afterwards I do some stretches to stay as flexible as possible.
Strength training and Pilates: fighting gender stereotypes all the way.
I’ve been practising Pilates for years, even though there’s this idea that it’s only for women. When I used to think about strength training, the stereotypical image of a gym rat would come to mind. Luckily, I don’t think like that anymore. Now I regularly do weight training in the morning because it makes me feel stronger and gives me good posture. In my toiletry bag, I always carry Dr. Hauschka Stone Pine Sea Salt Cleansing Gel and Quince Day Cream. That's how I start my day.
Next up: A walk and a bowl of warm porridge.
The apps on my phone stay deactivated until 9.30am. I’m usually walking through Hamburg at that time on my way home from the gym. I check my emails and calendar to see what I have coming up that day. When I get home to my flat, I make myself porridge with warm oatmeal, cinnamon, and banana. Then I’m ready to get to my desk, where I write emails, plan new podcast episodes, and organise my calendar.
A light soup and a quick freshen up.
My favourite thing to do at lunchtime is grab a bowl of pho at the Vietnamese street kitchen just around the corner. I like it because I never feel like I need to have a lie down afterwards. In the afternoon, I often have several video calls lined up. Briefings for the podcast, meetings with editors, or workshops with companies on topics like new forms of masculinity and queer issues. Spending the whole day in front of screens often makes me tired. So I tend to leave the house and go down to the Alster river. I also like to spray my face with Dr. Hauschka Facial Toner to revitalise my skin. I’m a big fan!
Check-in with the family.
I’m so lucky to be able to be myself in my job. But being a one man show means the boundaries between my private and professional life are always blurred. I have to be careful not to “exploit” everything I experience for my professional life. To avoid doing so, I like to speak to my close friends or my sister on the phone. My family and friends help me to switch back to being just Fabi again.
Writing in the evening.
I often don't have time to sit down and write until the evening. In the evening, once the emails stop coming in, I’m usually free. That’s when I’m in the right mood to work on a text in peace. The things I write about are often very political. When I write about patriarchal masculinity, I’m talking about the structures in our society. It's not just about dropping the term “toxic masculinity” in here and there, and it’s not about male bashing either. Instead, I talk about the fact that we’re all more free and more equal when we remove ourselves from gender-specific roles instead of clinging to outdated clichés. What I like about Dr. Hauschka skincare is their emphasis on the fact that skin has no gender. Elisabeth Sigmund, the founder of Dr. Hauschka, has been saying that since the 1960s!
Cooking with friends.
I meet up with friends at least twice a week. We quite often cook together. Personally, I like food without too many frills: Rice as a base, baked vegetables like sweet potatoes, peppers, and potatoes, and tempeh made from chick peas. My favourite thing to do is just bake everything until it’s nice and crispy rather than hiding the flavours underneath a thick sauce. Since social media has become such an integral part of my job, I feel like I’m becoming more private and I rarely go out. A dinner with the people who are closest to me is my idea of the perfect evening.
Radio show, hot drink, and an early night.
Whenever I can, I like to go to bed early, around 9.30 pm. I love doing that! Before going to bed I make up a Thermos flask of herbal tea. My evening cleansing routine is very important and I like to take my time doing it. I really like Dr. Hauschka's Cleansing Cream and Regenerating Eye Cream. Seeing as I spend my day reading, writing, and staring at screens, I like to close my eyes in bed and listen to a radio show – that way the images pop into my head all by themselves.
