SELF LOVE
Happy International Woman’s Day to you, if you are a woman or love a woman, I mean it. This post isn’t just for the ladies, it’s also for the guys, because self care is important for humans in general, so just read on OK?
Self care is often misconstrued as self indulgence – which is essentially treating yourself to things you don’t need – but it’s not that at all. Self care isn’t selfish! In fact, it’s the opposite. Self care is attending to your own needs in order to be better at attending to others’ needs. When one of my children was about a year old, I would hire a young college student just to come over and take him out in the stroller, so I could have a little tiny bit of time to myself without interruption. One of my Mom’s good friends saw this and she told me something to the extent of, “wow, you must really love yourself.” unfortunately at that time in my parenting journey, it was more a way for me to stay sane and survive the grueling challenges of early motherhood. I was somewhat offended at the time, but I let it roll off of me, and brushed that feeling away, not giving it more thought until now. I do remember it well, and her comment certainly did not make me feel any better about myself or my abilities as a Mother to a one year old. It’s just coming up for me in this post and I think it’s important that I share this story with you. So many times, the people closest to us, the ones that are supposed to love us the most, are actually damaging without realizing it, and they can also be dream stealers.
When we feel burnt out and depleted, it’s usually because we’ve been denied the time or ability to do things that have deep meaning to us, leaving us feeling off balance. This is when we can start to resent the very people in our lives that are closest to us, that we care for and bring us the greatest joy!
Benefits of Self Care
In addition to helping you feel more balanced and allowing you to be better at caring for others, self care is an invaluable practice. Below I share the following benefits of self-care:
Reduced stress and increased inner peace
Reduced anxiety and depression
More energy throughout the day
Higher levels of relaxation and productivity
Increased ability to be in touch with your intuition and emotions
Self Care Activities to Try at Home
One thing I simply cannot stress enough when it comes to self care is authenticity. Your goal is to take care of yourself and, subsequently, equip yourself to better care for others. It’s about finding activities that relax you, empower you and bring you joy. For me, it can be as simple as sitting outside with my legs up sipping on a fabulous mushroom, coconut oil, coffee elixir in my sunny backyard, and feeling the warmth of the sun on my face and body.
Self care feels good because you’re moving forward with authenticity, so ask yourself what you might need today to feel like you are being true to yourself and your needs when you feel stressed. The important thing is that we listen to our bodies and minds when they tell us they might need a little recharge so that we can attend to it.
I would like to break down self-care activities into two categories: non-negotiables and luxuries. Your ‘non-negotiables’ are activities that if you skip them, you’re going to be off your game. You won’t be able to show up as the best version of yourself. You may feel scattered, tired or cranky. ‘Luxuries’ are those self care actions that make you feel like a million bucks. It’s not stuff that you need to do every day, but when you do them they give you an extra boost.
Examples of non-negotiables include exercising and writing in a journal regularly, whereas luxuries might include going to an art show or taking a bubble bath with rose petals and essential oils. Here are some of my favorite at home self care ideas-including a mixture of non-negotiables and luxuries.
1. Give yourself a face massage.
I love to use a facial roller for a relaxing form of self care. I will us my jade facial roller, from my goddess box with a DIY essential oil serum, Immortelle blend, or any of the flower rollers; and roll the oils into my skin for about 10 minutes. This soothing exercise – which can be made even more so by chilling the roller in the fridge beforehand – aids in lymphatic drainage, smooths fine lines, reduces puffiness and more. Bonus: If you feel you could use the healing power of precious stones, try a jade roller. I’ve seen this golden pulse facial massager, and can’t wait to try it out. You can click on it to read more about it. Both of these rollers are affordable and have 4.5 star reviews.
2. Improve your sleep hygiene.
The simplest but most life altering self care practice I offer people is to protect their sleep fiercely. Quality sleep on a regular basis has the power to radically change lives. Suddenly, energy levels are higher, cognition is more clear and moods are more balanced. One of my top tips is to ensure your pillow and mattress are comfortable. Your direct environment – including the sheets you use, and yes, little luxuries like this silk eye mask – play a huge role in the quality of sleep you get. It’s important to find a time to go to sleep at night and stay regular with that!
3. Fuel your body with the nutrients it craves.
Everything—from the food you eat, the sleep you get, the exercise you do and the way you ‘talk’ to yourself—is an opportunity for self care and self love! In fact, some of the most powerful forms of self care can be some of the most mundane. Take eating, for example:
Do you fuel your body with nutrients? Something as simple as taking your vitamins or mixing a powder supplement, like this Terra Greens Fruit and Vegetable Supplement Mix, into your morning water or smoothie is a way to fit self-care into your daily routine.This powdered mix packs a daily boost of fruits and vegetables into a mix that can be stirred into 8 oz. of liquid for easy and convenient nutritional supplementation.
Provides the body with essential nutrients
Supports immune health
Supports digestive health
Supports weight management
All natural ingredients
GMO and gluten free
Vegan friendly
4. Stop and soak in the roses.
A soak in a warm bath is many a wellness expert’s self-care favorite activity. I personally enjoy bubble baths, epsom salt baths and those accentuated with drops of essential oils. One type stands out as especially rewarding for the mind and body: a bath with rose petals or oils. A study conducted in Thailand shows that rose oil aromatherapy helped subjects feel calm and relaxed. I recommend some plain old epson salt, your own organic rose petals, rose essential oil and sea salts – to ease muscle tension and melt away stress.
5. Turn shower time into “me time.”
Reserving time in my day to take a shower is one of my non-negotiable forms of self care. But just because it’s a necessity doesn’t mean it has to be a chore. From putting on your favorite music playlist to investing in a new shower head, to dropping few drops of Breathe essential oil blend on the outskirts of where the water reaches in your shower, there are plenty of ways to make your shower time your “me time”. May I suggest making your cleansing routine a little less routine and more of a treat. This bath bar from dōTERRA takes cleansing to a new level with organic essential oils Wild Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Mandarin, Bergamot, Tangerine, and Clementine to clear your nose and ease your mind.
6. Create a wind-down routine.
I give myself time to relax and wind down at the end of each day. I often take a bath, during which I focuses on repeating this affirmation: “I breathe in peace. I breathe out love. I breathe in peace. I breathe out love.” I massage a soothing body oil into my skin and lay down to practice two minutes of left-nostril breathing (a type of yogic breathing said to promote relaxation and calmness) to fully relax and go to bed with a clear mind. For an extra dose of warmth, try massaging in this delicious body butter, or creating your own slimming spray with dōTERRA’s Slim and Sassy essential oil blend.
7. Relax with a detoxifying facial mask.
I love to treat my skin to a detox facial mask at least once a week. After cleansing and using a gentle scrub, I apply a luxurious mask and relax for 15–20 minutes. I usually do this at night on a Sunday, and wake up on Monday ready to go. One of my favorites is this detoxifying clay mask which not only hydrates, but indulges your skin in revered gifts from the Earth—CPTG® essential oils, natural earth clays, purifying minerals, and nourishing botanicals.
This is a natural clay mask that provides purifying and detoxifying benefts while improving skin elasticity, reduces the appearance of pores, lines, and smooths wrinkles. Infused with CPTG essential oils of Myrrh, Juniper Berry, and Grapefruit, this proprietary mask delivers a luxurious and aromatic spa treatment that pampers the skin and enlivens the senses.
8. Give your skin some extra love and attention.
Nearly anything can be an act of self care if you’re doing it for relaxation, empowerment and joy. Something as seemingly simple as creating a daily skin care routine can give you that extra bit of calmness and happiness. This hydrating face cream not only feels soothing and hydrating as you massage it in, but it improves your skin health for additional long-term benefits.
9. Inhale calm, exhale stress.
Self-care can literally be as simple as breathing. I seriously recommend starting your day with 10 to 20 minutes to yourself-just breathing and meditating. During this time, you can sit down in your favorite quiet place and just give yourself time to breathe!
Begin by closing your eyes, and inhale to the count of four. Suspend your breath for four. Exhale for four. Repeat this breathing rhythm for a few minutes. Don’t let inner thoughts deter you from practicing breathing and mini-meditation to clear your mind and find a greater sense of inner peace. Take it a step further and learn about using aromatherapy in your yoga and meditation practice , made easy with this Empowered Life Series. The 3 essential oils in the YOGA collection are meant to be layered. You can use them during meditation or you can use them in your yoga practice, and it is truly one of my favorite products that dōTERRA so lovingly creates. If you haven’t tried yoga yet, you may be missing out on a ton of health benefits. I invite you to learn more about how yoga can benefit you in this article.
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