A culture of working long hours, running from one activity to the next, and always being productive has left little to no time for self-care. This however, can stop us in our tracks due to burn out, illness, depression, anxiety, and a host of negative mental and emotion health effects.
Making self-care a consistent priority has been proven to increase feelings of happiness, motivation, energy, and concentration. It has also been shown decrease depression and anxiety, anger and irritability, difficulties sleeping and more. Reducing stress is at the core of producing these benefits.
Road blocks
Time is the most common road blocks when it comes to self-care. Scheduling your self-care into your calendar ahead of time will help you set aside the time of day that can work for you on a consistent basis. For activities you want to do regularly, try starting with 10-15 minute increments. Sticking to a consistent schedule of 15 minutes of yoga daily is better than doing an hour yoga class once a month.
Here are some self-care ideas to consider when creating your self-care plan:
12 Pillars of Wellness
Physical Activity
Working out or going for a walk daily will help your body produce feel-good endorphins.
Health
Mind body health practices such as stress relieving facials or massages, warm epsom salt baths, eating nutritious meals and snacks, and sweating out toxins in an infrared sauna produce endless health benefits. Citron offers series and memberships to help you stay consistent.
Home Cooking
Cooking at home is both healthier from a nutrition standpoint- containing less salt and other undesirable ingredients, as well as being a great way to nurture our families. The best ingredient you can add to your meals is love!
Home Environment
Your home environment has a large impact on how you feel mentally and emotionally. A messy cluttered home creates a cluttered mind. A clean organized home environment gives us a refreshed, uplifted state of mind.
Relationships
Healthy relationships with partners, family, and friends has a large impact on overall mental and emotional wellbeing. Nurturing, listening, honest communication and comfortable boundaries will help your relationships stay healthy.
Social Life
A strong support system has a positive influence on your health. Engaging in hobbies, passions, and activities that bring you joy will surround you with like-minded people to help build your tribe.
Joy
Paying attention to the moments that you feel the most joy will give you the opportunity to replicate them and infuse your life with more happiness.
Spirituality
Yoga, meditation, and being in nature are some examples of ways you can connect to the present moment and feel a higher sense of purpose and life meaning.
Creativity
Playing an instrument, painting, cooking- anything to get your creative juices flowing will have positive effects on mental and emotional health.
Finances
Having a handle on your finances brings peace of mind and helps you plan and set goals for a healthy financial life. Take time to budget each month and regularly review.
Education
Lifelong learning will help you grow personally and professionally and keep your mind exercising. Make a list of books you'd like to read or classes you'd like to take.
Career
We spend a such a significant amount of our day working. Choosing a career that you feel passionate about and gives you a sense of purpose will add a great deal of joy to your life.
I have created a free Wellness + Beauty Workbook that will help you structure your time, set and track wellness goals, and create a self-care schedule.
If you have any questions or would like some more guidance or resources reaching your self-care goals you can fill our a skincare or health + wellness consultation form and one of our estheticians and health coaches will set up a time to chat on the phone, zoom, or simply through email- whatever you'd like.
Be well!
Christina