Self-care is so important for overall health, and August celebrates National Wellness Month. This month focuses on self-care, stress management, and creating healthy routines. If you are looking for an excuse to make a change, start this month in support of National Wellness Month.
I wanted to share a few favorite self-care tips and tricks from The Soul Publishing – an award-winning publishing co. behind one of the top five YouTube channels, 5-Minute Crafts. Being a spa professional in my early entrepreneur days, I still love products that make me feel like I am at the spa while at home.
DIY Bath Bomb: Baths are a great form of self-care and relaxation. Next time you’re looking to relax, try making this easy bath bomb! Mix baking soda, citric acid, coconut oil, your favorite essential oil, and coloring. Once mixed evenly, place the mixture into an empty ice cube tray and allow it to sit together to dry. Once hardened, pop the bath bomb out of the tray, place into bath water, and relax!
Make Your Own Moisturizer: Add aloe vera gel, almond oil, lavender essential oil, and cedarwood essential oil into a mixing bowl and mix until evenly spread. Place the mixture into a container with a lid to store, and you’re all set!
Honey & Brown Sugar Exfoliator: Struggling with dry, cracked skin? Try this easy-to-make honey exfoliator! Simply mix brown sugar, honey, and coconut oil together in a bowl. Once evenly mixed, scoop out the mixture and rub it onto your dry skin. Rinse off and done! Your skin will be left feeling soft and smooth.
Find even more of 5-Minute Crafts’ self-care tips here!
There are a lot of things we want to achieve and a lot of things that we want to do. But making time for yourself (and a priority) is not only important, its a great way to be more relaxed to be able tackle that “to do” list.
What are tips to making time for yourself? Well, these are few you can try:
1. Try expressing the needs:
Being selfless is a quality that is considered good and appreciated. But this can also be draining. Sometimes we do so much for others and forget about ourselves. For this purpose, make sure to tell others and mainly yourself that you NEED some space. It will be good for both your physical and mental health states.
2. Don’t feel guilty:
Most of the time, when we think about giving time to ourselves, we consider it like we are becoming selfish. But the main thing to know is you also need time for yourself, which is not something to be guilty about.
3. Say NO:
Sometimes we feel hesitant to say no to anyone. Even if we are unable to make time, we are still hesitating to say NO. Try saying no to the tasks that are not meant for you or not worth it. This way, you can save time and make it for yourself.
4. Set boundaries:
Set the boundaries for any task you are doing. Do not overload or overburden yourself. The reason is that you won’t feel easy and comfortable doing that.
5. Do workout:
Work out every day and make it a routine. Normally we think it takes too much time or that we have to be a gym rat .A simple daily walk is also considered a “workout routine” and a great start.
6. Solo lunch:
Another thing that you can do is take a solo lunch. We often feel uncomfortable doing lunch alone. But try to feel the pleasure and peace you will get while taking a solo lunch. Keep your mobile aside; your tv is off, and just enjoy your lunch.
Is it essential to make time for myself?
Making time for yourself will make you mentally relaxed. It is a form of meditation and gaining peace. You must give yourself some free time, almost half-hour a day, where you do nothing and sit and relax.
Sometimes we are unable to get what we wish (or hope) for. As a result, we can become upset and disappointed. This often leads to hopelessness, being stuck in a rut, or even the worse… we miss out on enjoying life.
It is essential to let go of things that do not matter. Here’s a few suggestions on how to.
1. Does IT really matter?
The first question is thinking about how much a situation truly matters or not. If you cannot get rid of thinking about it, think of a solution, maybe stop dwelling on things for a bit, or look for the positives in the negatives.
2. Try meditation: Thinking about the past over and again can, mistakes you have made, or people that are no longer in your life can make you fall into depression. Try meditating exercises that will help you focus on peaceful things around you now.
3. Try doing things that inspire you:
You must try doing more things that make you feel joyful. Try to get rid of negative thoughts by doing positive affirmations. For this purpose, focus on the positive aspects of everything that happens around you.
4. Spend Time in Nature: Nature is always good for the soul. Suppose you feel gloomy or sad and cannot get rid of that overthinking spell. Go out in nature and relax. You can enjoy nature by doing simple breathing exercises, yoga, swimming or even watering the plants.
5. Don’t Blame Others:
Everything is destined and happens because of fate. Never blame others for what has happened. The more positive you will think, the happier you will be. Leave everything to fate and try to move on. Try listening to positive motivational thoughts.
6. Try to Speak:
Whenever your heart is full, try to open up. Have a conversation with family, friends, or even your pet. If you have no one around you with whom you can share feelings, then go out in nature and talk to yourself while walking. Sometimes speaking things into existence is a great release.
Happiness… many of us struggle with finding it. Am I right? I have been trying to be less stressed and practice ways of living a happier life.
It’s made me to think about my lowest of lows, my highest of highs, and where I am at now. It also made me miss writing and sharing more personable content with my readers too. So here I go again, sharing personal thoughts as I am also finishing my second book.
Here are some tips I wanted to share:
Spend more time with your family and your spouse. Even something as simple as a phone call or a dinner weekly can increase communication and strengthen the bond between all of you.
If something doesn’t go your way, don’t dwell on it; pick yourself up and figure out what can make things better. Sometimes, we need to accept that some things are just not for us.
Do what you love. If you absolutely hate your job, maybe it’s time to turn that passion into a career.
Appreciate nature. Don’t take those beautiful sunrises and sunsets for granted. Take in all those tranquil colors, breathe, and start your day or end your night with taking in Mother Nature’s beauty we were blessed with.
Try new things. Foods, places, meet new people, get out of your comfort zone and branch out to your unknown. You will definitely learn more about the world and yourself.
Love yourself. We all have something to offer, are special, beautiful and play an important role in the world.
Ask for help. If you need a shoulder to cry on, someone to listen, a way to figure out something you are having trouble with. Don’t be afraid to speak up and out. We don’t always have all the answers for ourselves and sometimes our loved ones do.
Listen to more music and watch less TV. In my opinion, music livens up anything. If I am working at my studio, working at home, blogging, cleaning, I almost always have music on.
Say NO! If you don’t want to do something, DON’T. It’s ok to say NO sometimes. Don’t let people take advantage of you.
It’s ok to enjoy life’s guilty pleasures…these things exist to aid in our happiness. Eat the cake, drink the wine, put off doing chores till the next day, and sleep late.
Have faith. Pray. Have a spiritual outlet. Believe in a higher power, it’s around us. For those that do not believe in God…believe in yourself.
And lastly, lighten up! Though we all have goals, want to make dreams come true and work hard…don’t forget to enjoy your life and all you have in it. We only get one. Enjoy it.
Though most of these things seem easy to do, we often forget to do them. Be happy friends…it’s the best way to really live life and be successful.
Our past experiences can significantly impact our daily lives. Decisions are based on the events that occurred in the past and letting go is not an easy thing to do. It might be easier for some people, but it is very hard for others. If you are also one of the people who find it very hard to let go of the past, this article is for you. Read it till the end to know some tips and tricks to let go of the past.
Surround yourself with positive people
Do you know what separates the people who achieve their goals from those who don’t? It is not time or skill, but it knows how to use the law of attraction to achieve what they want. They are aware that what you focus on, you feel. It means that the energy you put out into the world is what you receive and back, and in addition to this, you become the same as the people who surround you. It is not easy to avoid the past, specifically if you stay around the people who continuously remind you of your past. So, in this case, if you think over the theory of peer elevation and apply it to your lives by surrounding yourself with positive people who are continuously committed to progress and growth, then you will find it very easy to move on.
Work on your personal growth
Moving on from the past is important, and the best thing is to work on a personal growth plan. You need to know that if you focus on learning and improving, it is not only a distraction from the negative thoughts circulating in your mind, but it is also very empowering. Once you identify the areas you want to work on, then pinpoint the obstacles you will be facing and collect the tools you need to succeed. When you collect all the tools, take the help of an expert who can guide you through this personal growth and journey.
Meditate
If you are feeling frustrated and upset due to the things that happened in your past, you are unable to change your feelings; then, in this case, you should start meditating. It helps a lot when you find stillness, take long breathes, and remain calm. Meditation practices such as yoga and tai-chi will help you keep yourself away from the hustle-bustle of this busy world. If you are thinking about the best meditation options, then yoga can help control your thoughts. If you are thinking about the best mindfulness practice, then yoga and some other deep breathing exercises can help you to relax. Both yoga and meditation will help you concentrate on the present moment of your life instead of focusing on the events that had occurred in the past.
Exercise
There is no doubt that exercise is an excellent way to improve your physical health, but research also suggests that it helps a lot with your mental health. Harvard says that exercise can help you avoid different negative emotions. Different chemicals associated with happiness, such as dopamine, are released when exercising. You can choose to exercise for at least 15 minutes daily.
One of my guilty pleasures is taking bubble baths. Happy Bubble Bath day, by the way! Nothing relaxes me more than creating a spa like atmosphere at home with calming new age music, candles, a bath pillow and soaking my stress away in warm bubbly aromatherapy.
Enjoying a glass of wine during bath time is nice too. Bubble baths do more than just relax the mind, body, and spirit; they are also great for our skin and soothe achy muscles. The warmth of the soak is extremely relaxing and is a natural way to boost your immune system and hydrate your skin. As for the aromatherapy part of my bubble bath, I like to find scented foams that are floral and herbal. Here is one of my favorite bath recipes:
Instructions: Mix lavender oil, milk, & honey in a bowl, then pour into a jar. Before each use, shake the jar & pour half of the mixture into the bath. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Great for 2 baths.
Bath ingredients you can add from your kitchen cabinet:
Sage: Uplifting, calming and astringent
Rosemary: Relaxing and great for alertness and its clarifying
Peppermint: Energizing and clarifying
Chamomile: Extremely, relaxing, and calming
Green Tea: Energizing, and clarifying
Other ingredients you can add to your bath:
Epsom Salt
Oatmeal
Coconut Oil
Milk
In Ancient Rome, bathing at a public facility was part of the daily routine for most citizens. A trip bathed once a week for personal hygiene. A trip to the Roman baths might include a dip in a hot tub, a brief break in the sauna, and a refreshing swim in the cold pool. Up until the late 1940’s, the average American bathed once a week for personal hygiene.
Being in the Spa industry for many years, one question I get frequently asked by clients is “what can I use at home for a mini-spa bath experience?” Here are a few items that can enhance a mini-spa bath experience at home.
Today, a daily shower is standard, but it’s nice to indulge in a luxurious bubble bath every occasionally. Bubble baths can help open your pores, cleanse your skin, and relax muscles. Enhance your bath time with a few fun accessories like a bath pillow, facial mask, shower cap, body brush, and a book. Enjoy!
A new year has begun; I always look at the beginning of a new year (day, week, month) as a new start, a fresh one to do things in my life even better than the previous one.
Think of some things you would like to do better and/or more of for others, yourself, or change during this new month/year. Here are a few things I try and be better at this myself. We are all a work in progress and all we can do is keep trying. Hugs to you and yours on your new beginnings…
Appreciate Life: Be thankful that you woke up alive each morning. Develop a childlike sense of wonder towards life. Focus on the beauty of every living thing. Make the most of each day. Don’t take anything for granted. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Choose Friends: Wisely Surround yourself with happy, positive people who share your values and goals. Friends that have the same ethics as you will encourage you to achieve your dreams. They help you to feel good about yourself. They are there to lend a helping hand when needed.
Be Considerate: Accept others for who they are as well as where they are in life. Respect them for who they are. Touch them with a kind and generous spirit. Help when you are able, without trying to change the other person. Try to brighten the day of everyone you come into contact with.
Learn Continuously: Keep up to date with the latest news regarding your career and hobbies. Try new and daring things that has sparked your interest – such as dancing, skiing, surfing or even sky-diving.
Creative Problem Solving: Don’t wallow in self-pity. As soon as you face a challenge get busy finding a solution. Don’t let the set backs affect your mood, instead see each new obstacle you face as an opportunity to make a positive change. Learn to trust your gut instincts – it’s almost always right. Do What You Love: Some statistics show that 80% of people dislike their jobs! No wonder there’s so many unhappy people running around. We spend a great deal of our life working. Choose a career that you enjoy – the extra money of a job you detest isn’t worth it. Make time to enjoy your hobbies and pursue special interests.
Enjoy Life: Take the time to see the beauty around you. There’s more to life than work. Take time to smell the roses, watch a sunset or sunrise with a loved one, take a walk along the seashore, hike in the woods etc. Learn to live in the present moment and cherish it. Don’t live in the past or the future.
Laugh: Don’t take yourself – or life to seriously. You can find humor in just about any situation. Laugh at yourself – no one’s perfect. When appropriate laugh and make light of the circumstances. (Naturally there are times that you should be serious as it would be improper to laugh.)
Forgive: Holding a grudge will hurt no one but you. Forgive others for your own peace of mind. When you make a mistake – own up to it – learn from it – and FORGIVE yourself.
Gratitude: Develop an attitude of gratitude. Count your blessings; All of them – even the things that seem trivial. Be grateful for your home, your work and most importantly your family and friends. Take the time to tell them that you are happy they are in your life.
Invest in Relationships: Always make sure your loved ones know you love them even in times of conflict. Nurture and grow your relationships with your family and friends by making the time to spend with them. Don’t break your promises to them. Be supportive. Keep Your Word: Honesty is the best policy. Every action and decision you make should be based on honesty. Be honest with yourself and with your loved ones.
Meditate: Meditation gives your very active brain a rest. When it’s rested you will have more energy and function at a higher level. Types of meditation include yoga, hypnosis, relaxation tapes, affirmations, visualization or just sitting in complete silence. Find something you enjoy and make the time to practice daily.
Mind Your Own Business: Concentrate on creating your life the way you want it. Take care of you and your family. Don’t get overly concerned with what other people are doing or saying, get caught up with gossip or name calling, or be so quick to judge. Everyone has a right to live their own life the way they want to – including you.
Optimism: See the glass as half full. Find the positive side of any given situation. It’s there – even though it may be hard to find. Know that everything happens for a reason, even though you may never know what the reason is. Steer clear of negative thoughts. If a negative thought creeps in – replace it with a positive thought.
Love Unconditionally: Accept others for who they are. You don’t put limitations on your love. Even though you may not always like the actions of your loved ones – you continue to love them. Persistence: Never give up. Face each new challenge with the attitude that it will bring you one step closer to your goal. You will never fail, as long as you never give up. Focus on what you want, learn the required skills, make a plan to succeed and take action. We are always happiest while pursuing something of value to us.
Be Proactive: Accept what can not be changed. Happy people don’t waste energy on circumstances beyond their control. Accept your limitations as a human being. Determine how you can take control by creating the outcome you desire – rather than waiting to respond.
Self Care: Take care of your mind, body and health. Get regular medical check ups. Eat healthy and work out. Get plenty of rest. Drink lots of water. Exercise your mind by continually energizing it with interesting and exciting challenges.
Self Confidence: Don’t try to be someone that you’re not. After all no one likes a phony. Determine who you are in the inside – your own personal likes and dislikes. Be confident in who you are. Do the best you can and don’t second guess yourself.
Take Responsibility: Happy people know and understand that they are 100% responsible for their life. They take responsibility for their moods, attitude, thoughts, feelings, actions and words. They are the first to admit when they’ve made a mistake. Begin today by taking responsibility for your happiness. Work on developing these habits as you own. The more you incorporate the above habits into your daily lifestyle – the happier you will be.
It’s THAT time of year again. Time for fresh starts, new beginnings, setting goals, and re-evaluating your personal growth. At least that’s what bringing in the New Year does for me.
One of the things I’ve gotten in the habit of is creating a list for each of my “resolutions”. Each new thing that I want to tackle has its own list of “things to do” to get them achieved and having a check-off list helps you get to that point.
Task tip: Your brain actually works better when you focus on just one job at a time, rather than trying to be a multitasking master. You don’t always need to eat while you’re writing emails or check your email in the middle of prepping for a presentation. Put the phone down.
Speaking of cellphones, I have become so glued to my phone for work purposes, it’s easier (for me) to make these lists on my phone’s calendar. Using a planner is great too if you are one to write things down.
Here are a few things to try this new year:
Change your daily routine
Add something different to your routine that you know makes you feel good and remove what you feel doesn’t inspire you anymore. Sometimes we need to kick it up a notch and get out of the everyday norm. Trying new things is always fun too.
Social media cleansing
If you have people on Facebook who don’t ever comment anything nice and are always ready to comment negatively…DELETE (or unfollow) them! Same goes for all your other social media platforms. Keep in mind you are not obligated to keep anyone (that goes for family too) on your friends list. Another great idea is to move your social media apps off of your phone’s home screen if you feel you spend too much time on social media apps.
Work/Life Balance
We all have different lifestyles and occupations however, if you were feeling the “burn-out” this past year, maybe it’s time to get a little more balanced in both your personal and professional life. Try not working so many extra hours, trying to please everyone in your life by saying “yes” all the time, and taking some time out for yourself. Schedule at least one thing a week that you love to do.
Keep a Clean Home
I get it, you’re busy… and the last thing you feel like doing is cleaning up your house. Instead, you ignore the mess and watch as it builds up to the point of not knowing where to start when it comes to cleaning up. Try spending at least ten minutes each day cleaning and tidying up. You’d be surprised how little things like wiping down coffee pots, wiping down countertops, or changing your sheets once a week will help keep your place neater.
Plan a Vacation
Even if it’s just a short road trip type of weekend in a nearby small town you’ve never visited, a getaway can help you reset and refocus when you’re back at work. Stop thinking about vacation as an indulgence (which it certainly can be) but more of a well-deserved break.
Healthy dates and outings
Make time to catch up with friends and family members a couple of times a month. Try out new restaurants, host a potluck, take a walk in the park, or attend an event together. Check in with old coworkers that you don’t see as often as well.
Invest in Yourself
Mental and physical health is highly important and we tend to put ourselves last. Joining a gym, seeing a therapist, and buying healthy foods all cost money, yes, but you could argue that they’re all money well spent. Plus, when you take care of yourself, it’s that much easier to take care of your family and friends around you.
Glow Up!
Besides eating your veggies and making sure you use SPF everyday, get that skin glowing by getting monthly facials or getting on a good skin care regimen.
Get more sleep
We need sleep. How are we supposed to conquer the world if we are tired? A good place to start is establishing a tranquil sleep environment by making small changes, like setting a bedtime for yourself (no devices allowed afterward!), investing in blackout shades for your bedroom, or adjusting the thermostat to a comfortable temp to ensure more restful sleep.
Write down accomplishments
Remind yourself of the great things you’ve achieved and accomplished. It’s good to be proud of yourself and can also be motivating for your next venture.
Start the new year with a “bang” and focus on that self-care. Happy New Year!
Having a passion for something sounds easy… but, that’s not the case for everyone. Here are some tips on how I personally found my own passions. I hope they guide you to yours.
Ask someone who knows you well to tell you what they think your passions are. Sometimes it takes someone else to see things in us that we don’t see ourselves.
Think of things you have done in your life that make you feel alive and excited to do again. Often we do things repeatedly that make us happy no realizing its a passion.
If money and time and were not an issue, what would you do? Maybe scale it down a bit, work with what you have. A smaller approach to what these things are may put you in a direction to working towards the bigger goal.
Analyze your surroundings, the people you are around regularly, and what interests you have in common. Being near those that have similar interests can be motivating and inspiring to us in our own endeavors.
Meditate (or pray). Life will keep us busy and can keep our minds clouded with the everyday hustle. Take time out to sort through your own thoughts. A little bit of clarity goes a long way.
Do What You Love: Some statistics show that 80% of people dislike their jobs! No wonder there’s so many unhappy people running around. We spend a great deal of our life working. Choose a career that you enjoy – the extra money of a job you detest isn’t worth it. Make time to enjoy your hobbies and pursue special interests.
Keep Your Word: Honesty is the best policy. Every action and decision you make should be based on honesty. Be honest with yourself and with your loved ones.
Persistence: Never give up. Face each new challenge with the attitude that it will bring you one step closer to your goal. You will never fail, as long as you never give up. Focus on what you want, learn the required skills, make a plan to succeed and take action. We are always happiest while pursuing something of value to us.
