Watch Now: Improve Your Health in 4 Minutes
March 21, 2018
Lately, I have felt like a broken record when it comes to self-care. I have had so many clients coming to me with thyroid imbalance and fried adrenals. They can't sleep, they're unhappy and/or depressed, anxious, and scattered. Some of them can't lose weight no matter what they do.
The one thing that is missing is intense self-care. Now, I am not here to lecture you on how to add an hour to your day to incorporate self-care rituals. Instead, I want to challenge to build in some simple practices into your aspects that are already set in your daily routine. Here are some things that I do to take care of my needs within the time-frame of regularly scheduled day-to-day tasks.
Watch this video (of me laying down at 9 pm) where I share my quickies for self-care. Forgive me for recording this on my cell phone... at 9 pm... while I was laying down...
1. Showering - if you know me at all, I hate showering. But most people like to shower almost every day. You are in there for 4 minutes, at least. Can you slow down your mind to take some deep breaths, feel the warmth of the water, and bask in gratitude for the gift of your breath and the luxury of feeling hot running water on your skin? Smell your shampoo, conditioner, or soap. Truly practice presence.
2. Evening Bathroom Routine - When I take off my makeup, it's like a mindless scrub-athon where it feels like I'm racing to get it over with so I can get into bed. Prior to going in to clean up before bed, I'm just complaining for 10 minutes about another task on my list before bed. Can you slow down in this products to massage your skin, smell your products, act as if you're giving yourself a facial. Be gentle on the face. Apply moisturizer in circular motions. This gives your body the message that you slowing down, being more present, and choosing to relax at this moment. This is what self-care is all about.
3. Ideally, you will have time to get a massage, journal, meditate, and do that morning yoga. But right now, I want you to start thinking about your 3-4 minute daily tasks where you can shift your thoughts from your to-do-list to focusing on what is happening in the present moment. This could include when you're washing the dishes or packing your lunch. Can you control your breath in these moments? Can you blast some music in the car on the way to work that makes you sing and dance like no-one is watching?! Doing this instead of listening to the news might totally shift your day. Blast some music that makes you feel good or takes you back to a happy time in your life or a super fun memory!
Self-care has to be redefined for us. It doesn't have to be either I do self-care for 45 minutes/day or not at all. You have to find ways to fit the practices into our schedule in a way that works for you.
What am I missing? Post your favorite time-saving self-care tips to my facebook page.
