Welcome to the busiest time of year. Tell me, are you taking care of yourself?
You know, self-care: getting 8-hours of shut-eye, eating nourishing meals, making time for yoga, breathing, or your favorite form of exercise, bubble baths, and thinking positive thoughts about yourself and others.
Totally get it if you are flipping me the bird. Who has time for Self-Care?!
I learned my lesson last week after burning the candle on both ends. Hello sickness! It was a good reminder to stop trying to be super women and start being human. I took a look at what activities were lighting my fire and which ones kept trying to blow out my candle.
This month I challenge you to join me on boosting up your self-care.
Here is how:
First step: Create time by auditing your time. How many hours are you watching reality TV, surfing the web, stalking on Facebook, or saying “yes,” to events where you should be saying “NO, but thank you for the invite.” With the extra time you just created, put yourself first. Identify the activities that light your fire and re-energize you and decrease the ones that don’t.
Step two: Do at least one self-care technique each day.
To get your started here are my top 6 favorite self-care musts:
– Sneak in 5-10 minutes of meditation/gratitude/breathing before my feet hit the floor in the morning. This sure beats starting the day in a rush. Set the day off right with good vibes.
– Quick, self-massage with oil after the shower. You skin is your largest organ so love it up. The massage also stimulates your lymph system which helps flush toxins out of the body.. Bonus: Massage can help reduce the appearance of cellulite by bring circulation to the area.
– Light a candle while cooking or working. Make the mundane – special.
– Move your body. Yoga, walking, cleaning, going up and down the stairs, or dancing are all great options. Pick an exercise that makes you feel good and shoot for 30 minutes per day.
– Aiming for a vegetable at each meal. The more vegetables the better you will feel – mind, body and spirit. Grab a handful of greens and top with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon and sea salt – instant side salad.
– Hitting the hay by 10pm. The biggest psychological repair happens between the hours of 10pm – 2am while you sleep. Plus, it increases your odds of getting 8-hours.
Feeling bad stinks and feeling good is AWESOME. By practicing self-care, you will ignite your energy to stay well this busy season.
Your turn: What’s your favorite self-care practice? Share in the comments section below.
Sending warm fuzzies to you this December,
Jackie