Self-Care is something we all need! Everyone should practice some form of self-care in my opinion. I know this is something we all need and struggle with, some of us work or run a business, homeschooling or are simply at home busy being a parent with our little ones running around saying "mommy, mommy". We don't always have time to focus on ourselves! Sometimes time-management goes straight out the window and we think self-care will take too long or we put it off and then it never gets done; and sometimes, we just don't know what to do or where to start when it comes to self-care, rest, relaxation...these are words most parents don't even know the meaning to, haha. Well I am here to help!
There are multiple ways to practice self-care regardless of how much time you have but today we are going to talk about fast and easy ways for all you busy bees out there. The first thing I want to talk about, we all know too well and most of up probably already do it when we're stressed or frustrated without even knowing it. Deep Breathing. Yes, I said it, and you may not think it makes a huge difference but just stopping and taking the time to close your eyes and breath deeply actually helps! It invokes a relaxation response which helps regulate cortisol (the body's stress hormone). Now this does not only have to happen when you're angry, stressed or frustrated. This can be part of you daily routine whether it be at the start of the day before you start getting dressed for work, or at home before everyone wakes up, it can be in the middle of the day, during lunch, at the end of the day, before bed, whenever! That's the thing that's so great about this method, it is literally self-care in two minutes that can be done almost anywhere! We all have two minutes out of the day we can spare in order to do this, it just takes a moment to stop and commit.
How to do this:
1) Stop.
2) Find a place where you can be alone.
3) Sit down or lay down.
4) Take a deep breath through your nose, hold for three to seven seconds and then exhale for about eight seconds.
5) Repeat this process for 2 minutes and feel the relaxation.
Thats it! You'll notice the change of pace, a clearer head, change of mindset, breathing helps. You can also go a step further and meditate, if you already do then great, but we'll discuss full on meditation techniques at another time. Right now I just want to focus on quick easy ways to practice self-care.
The next thing I want to discuss is something we all do everyday. Stay social! You may not realize it but us as human beings are social creatures, and I'm sure you've all heard this so many times and are thinking "not me! I don't like people, I don't like crowds, the world is crazy..I'm anti-social..I'm socially awkward," or maybe you're just thinking you wish I would shut up. Well, either way, even all your introverts out there, we are social beings. When you verbalize your thoughts to someone out loud it helps you clear those thoughts from your mind. This is why a lot of people sometimes just need to vent or cry, to let it all out! This is healthy and perfectly fine, the problems arise when you are venting or talking to the wrong people. Here's what I suggest.
1) Find a trusted, non-shaming, supportive person in your life who you know will not be judgemental. This person should be someone you know will actually listen to you...your fears, frustrations, rants and even goals or dreams you may have. Not just dreams as in future dreams buy discussing your actual dreams at night is also something you should be able to talk about.
2) Be sure to make it clear to whoever this person is that your are trusting with your thoughts and feelings; make sure they know right from the get go, whether you want them to just sit and listen or maybe to just give occasional feedback or advice, or if you want it to be a full blown discussion that's fine too, just be sure you're assessing your needs so whoever you're sharing with knows what you want and has your best interests in mind.
3) I would not recommend this person you're talking to to be your husband or significant other only because you need to be able to be social outside of your normal space, and lets face it, the person you're in a relationship with isn't always the best listener...I am by no means bashing and I know that isn't the case for everyone but who knows..they may be the reason you need to talk.
4) Be sure to allow yourself to let go. Fully allow yourself to say whatever is on your mind without being expected to reciprocate. Say exactly what is on your mind, how you are feeling, what you are thinking, etc. No judgement.
Now, if for whatever reason you feel like you don't have anyone you can go to for this type of practice well...that's why I'm here! I'm fully committed to helping you as much as I possibly can, which is why not only did I create this page but a group for moms, parents, people who need support when it comes to life, mind, body, soul, whatever. If you need a supportive place to go to in order to achieve this then feel free to join my group, "Mom Life. Beautiful Chaos." https://www.facebook.com/groups/818030715672287/ This group is a place I created where all moms can connect and support each other, ask for advice, recommendations, discuss topics they maybe wouldn't feel comfortable discussing at home or JUST TALK! It's healthy. Now, if you're reading this and you still think, "No I'm anti-social, that won't change, just shut up already," well then, those of you can ask try journaling, this has the same effect. My point is, don't just go around keeping everything to yourself, don't just put on a smile and act like everything is okay if it's not, don't keep everything inside or locked away, you need to ease your mind from time to time for your own health and self-care.
The next thing we're going to discuss for todays topic on self-care is taking a bath. Now, I know some of us already do this and many of us don't take the time to do this, we just shower everyday and that's our routine and that's it! Well, here we go again, make time! Set an alarm or put it in your calendar, take 30 minutes at minimum to focus on yourself and take a nice, relaxing bath. There is nothing more blissful and soothing than embracing your whole self into a hot bath to unwind. Use crystals, pink himalayan salt lamps, light candles, incense, essential oils, wax melts, remember, this is all about YOU so make sure you use your favorite scent and adjust as needed to whatever is fitting for you and your lifestyle. I personally use a pink himalayan salt wax warmer that you can literally pick up from Wal-Mart for like $20.00. I have been looking to upgrade but again, whatever works for you. If you're interested in finding the same one I use I will link it in my link tree in the Community section of this page. I will also include some websites that show where you can find similar, if not better pink himalayan salt products and some of the benefits to using them in the "Mom Life. Beautiful Chaos. group I mentioned before so if interested, join us and check it out.
Now, you can use whatever you want, it's your bath, your zen, your personalized relaxation. You can use bath salts, bath bombs, bath potpourri, flower petals, whatever is best for YOU. They even have these really cool bath box subscriptions you can purchase where they send you everything you need for an amazing bath experience monthly. This can be found at www.themagickaleearth.com. For best results, try incorporating bath salts or bath bombs that contain stress-relieving properties. Personally, I use bath salts from www.junebugessentials.etsy.com. There are some Amazing products on here from bath salts, to teas, body butter, face masks and even a pregnancy and self-care gift set! There are so many things on here I still need to try, and once I do you will here all about it but for now, back to the salts. Now I have personally tried the Chamomile Lavender Detox which is ideal for de-stress, Lavender Rose Epsom Salt Detox which is to calm and relax your mind, and soothe your muscles. The last one I have tried, so far, and currently my all time fav is the Pumpkin Spice Detox Bath Salt which is a luxurious warming scent that just screams fall! I know some of you read that and were like "Did she say Pumpkin Spice?! SOLD!" haha, because I know that's how I was and I was so glad when I tried it! These bath salts are the best in my opinion, they are not overbearing at all and the aroma just flows through the house even after you're done bathing. It's the perfect combination, and this goes for all of the ones I've tried, they're not too perfumy or too potent or too strong, they're just perfect. They really work! You come out of your bath not only relaxed and free but the scent stays on your skin and your skin feels so soft and smells so good after, it really is amazing, not to mention there are so many more scents to choose from, she even sells a specific batch for sensitive/itchy skin or if you have a rash or irritation or excema, anything like that then the Calendula Oatmeal Detox Bath Salt would be good to try. Next on my radar is the Coconut Milk Bath, which is vegan by the way so it's a great alternative for those of you out there who are vegan! The Coconut Milk Bath aids in skin health, repair and softening so if you have dry skin.... can even be used on your little ones or for photography sessions, so many options. I will be sure to let you know how it works for me once I try it. So excited!
Alright, I know I've been talking your ear off but another easy way to promote easy self-care is...treat yourself! Take a day and go get a mani-pedi or a day at the spa, or a mini facial, even if it's just once or a month or every other month definitely go take advantage and pamper yourself with a mani-pedi because it promotes health, happiness, rest, relaxation, clears the mind and they just hit the right pressure points in your hands and feet when they do that. I personally always add on a foot reflexology session when I go because it helps improve blood circulation, helps relaxation, promotes better sleep and more; if you're curious about some of the other benefits I will post a link to some in the group. Most places offer mini massages and most nail salons offer foot reflexology on it's own as well so if a mani-pedi is not for you then treat yourself to whatever is.
Sleep! A good nights sleep is so important for all of us, most of us need about seven to nine hours of solid sleep. This means actual sleep, eliminate the noise, put the phone down, turn the tv off, stay out of your head and just sleep; rest your mind. Calm, sleep. There are other methods you can use, such as ear plugs, sleep masks, blue light blocking glasses, again, whatever works for you. I personally use a dietary supplement from HUM Nutrition called Mighty Night. I am a subscriber and absolutely love it. Might Night is vegan and promotes optimal sleep, helps skin cell turnover as well as improves texture and tone over night. I will do a separate blog post on my subscription and what I've personally found works best for me in the near future but in the mean time if you're interested in trying it out feel free to use my code for $10 off found in my link tree over in the Community section or feel free to send me a message.
Finally, Pamper Yourself. You may think this is the the same as what I just said before but no, I'm talking staycation style. Turn the phone off, stay off social media, grab your favorite face mask or make one yourself, pour yourself some calming tea or favorite wine, curl up and rest or watch a movie you've been dying to see and watch it straight through! Take some serious you time, whether it's two minutes or two hours. Make the time. It's important, you may not realize it but it will help you, this is your physical and mental health we're talking about here. This isn't a one time thing. This is something you should be adding into your routine and your lifestyle; it's a practice. It's something that is best done on a regular basis, that's why setting an alarm and putting it in your calendar might be the best thing in order to regularly incorporate self care practices into your life. Consistency is key. Self-care will help translate into better self-esteem, less stress, self-love, a clearer mind, creative intuition and an overall, more emotional fulfillment on a daily basis. Feel free to reach out and let me know how your journey to self-care goes, I hope some of these easy suggestions were helpful, have a good nights rest everyone.
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