If you start to think about all of the things that you ‘take care of’ on a daily basis, your head would likely start to spin. The fact is, in this busy day and age, we tend to take care of A lot of things: Our kids, our families, our homes, our cars, our pets, our businesses, our careers (the list could go on and on….). But, when was the last time you practiced a little self-care? So what is self care practice?
Self-care is essentially any action or behavior that we love to do that benefits us by reducing our stress levels and improving our mental, physical and spiritual health. For each and every person this is going to look differently (something we like to refer to as bio-individuality!). For some of you, it could be having a warm aromatherapy bath complete with candles and your fave playlist or taking 20 minutes to chill-out while listening to a guided meditation, while for others it may be heading to the closest mountain for a hike, taking a trip to the spa or just simply reading a good book
1.Meditate
Meditation is a great way to destress and take some time to reset. If you wake up in the morning and immediately think of that ever-growing to-do list, take a few minutes to sit and quiet your mind. The great thing about meditation is that it can be done anywhere, at any time. Just allow yourself a couple of minutes when things become overwhelming. Even five minutes a day has been proven to have enormous health benefits including reduced stress and anxiety, increase mental clarity, a boost in overall happiness and well-being and increased focus and mental concentration. Find a quiet place to sit comfortably, close your eyes and let your body and mind unwind and let go.
2.Go for a run, walk or a hike
The point is to get moving doing something that you truly love. Heading out for a 30 minute run can be the perfect way to take care of your mind, body and spirit. My best advice? Find the type of activity that you love best, and then try to do it at least twice a week.Get up and get moving. Taking a walk is the perfect way to incorporate self-care into your busy day. If you have 15 minutes between meetings or an hour for lunch, get up, walk around. And use the time to clear your head, stretch your legs and take a brain break. If you can’t get to the gym for a longer workout. This helps you keep a more consistent practice of physical activity, too.
3.Take a warm aromatherapy bath
One of our favorite ways to easily add a dose self-care into your daily or weekly routine is to take a warm, healing aromatherapy bath at the end of your day. Setting an intention that you are going to give yourself 20 minutes of quality time and being grateful for this alone time will help set the tone of your bath. Dim the lights, light some candles and let go of any negative energy you accumulated that day. We love to add lavender bath salts as they are known to decrease stress and anxiety, relieve muscle tension and relax your body and mind.
4.Being mindful in whatever you are doing
This is my all-time favorite self care practice!!! Because if you have no time then there is no time like the present. Being mindful means just being aware of whatever you’re doing right now. Instead of getting lost in our thoughts, which can often create stress-triggers in our body. We simply think right now “I’m just going to observe whatever is going on”. So you can be walking down the street you can simply just look around to see what’s on the street, what noises can you hear, what smells can you smell. And if the thoughts come – simply observe them and think. You can do this anywhere,in the Gym, on the tube, in the car, while you’re eating lunch, when you’re brushing your teeth.
5.Share love
Be honest, how good does it feel to get compliments? pretty good, right? It also feels great to know you’ve made someone else feel amazing. So take a little time and give a bit of extra attention to your friends and family. Tell your best friend you think she has the best sense of fashion. Tell your older brother that he’s the reason you love music so much. Let others feel like they are important and significant. Yes, you might get some compliments in return, but you also get the joy of knowing that you were able to make their day a little bit brighter. That you are able to have that sort of impact on someone else life.
6.Unplug
I know I said purging negativity from social media is a great form of self care practice. But so is taking a time out and unplugging completely. Take some time away from all the screens and let your mind, and your eyes, relax a bit. Read a book, do some journaling. You don’t need to be 100 percent connected to the outside world at all times. Focus on the you, the here and the now.
7.Be your bold strong and beautiful self
The most important self-care tip I could ever give is to be yourself and love yourself. You are a beautiful person, inside and out. You’re worthy of kindness and respect and love, at the very least from your own mind. Once you step into that knowledge, that you are someone who deserves the best. You will be someone who shows others that they, too, deserve the greatest from themselves.