6 simple at home self-care tips for your mental and physical wellness

6 simple at home self-care tips for your mental and physical wellness

We are living in some rather crazy times right now and maybe now more than ever, self-care, taking care of you is what’s going to keep you moving forward. For your physical and mental well-being, doing things that you enjoy and that allow you to slow down and rest should be at the top of the list.

Now I get that it’s not easy to figure out what these may be, yet alone find the time to do them! It has taken me a long time to know when to stop and take care of myself; after years of chronic anxiety, gut issues and exhausted adrenals I had to make it a priority if I wanted to feel happy, healthy & be able to run my own business.

Also, no day is perfect. So you aren’t necessarily going to get it perfect on the first try or have the most 'Instagrammable' self-care experience. It actually takes a bit of time to get used to, because we always just want to go, go, go. Give yourself permission to just do you and disconnect for a bit - it’ll bring you more clarity, patience and energy.

6 simple at home self-care tips for your mental and physical wellness

Here's 6 simple at home self-care tips for your mental and physical wellness

Sleep

I definitely count this as self-care - a form of self-care that we cannot live without. I know that getting a good night’s sleep can be a real challenge for many of us out there. Whether it’s interruptions, pesky cats that like to party like it’s 1999 at 3am, anxiety, work, the moon, who knows! We all have something. I know you know sleep is important, but here’s the why:

Sleep is the time when your body can relax and work on healing, repairing (helps to keep our immune system in a good place). Some people also need more sleep, so when your body is telling you to sleep, do it! I feel most optimal when I get 8+ hours of sleep, especially in the winter.

What could help me get more sleep?

Try creating a bedtime routine - dim your lights; close down computers, tablets, the TV and phone at least 30 minutes before bed. This allows your brain to create natural melatonin to help you fall into dreamland. Blue light from devices blocks the production. Then enjoy a cup of calming tea, maybe some CBD, take a bath, light a candle, apply calming, nourishing oils to your body, read a book that you love. Get cozy! Make it a time of the day that you look forward to; I have found that to be the key.

SOAK

Instead of a quick shower, draw yourself an evening bath or hey, even a morning one if that’s when you have the time! Nothing like a hot bath on a chilly, grey morning. You can easily create a bathtime ritual that includes things like a cup of tea, bath salts, a candle, essential oils, music, a book, whatever will help you to relax. When you upgrade your bathtime by adding something like a soaking salt, you add botanicals, minerals that can help soothe sore muscles, help with circulation, calm the skin and overall relax the body. When there’s aromatherapy involved, eg. high grade, essential oils that could be in your soaking salts they will also help to calm the mind and body. I am personally a sucker for all things lavender!

MOVE YOUR BODY

Sometimes a hardcore workout isn’t what we need and sometimes maybe it is. Just simply moving your body in some way is extremely beneficial to your wellness. Movement get’s the blood flowing, which helps with circulation as well as boost our serotonin levels to keep us feeling happy! Especially important for the darker, cooler months where there is less sunshine.

Gentle ways to move your body at home

Gentle stretches; yoga - slow flow, Vinyasa flow, restorative; long walks; neighbourhood bike ride.

Gentle ways to move your body

MEDITATION

Stress, anxiety and fear can all impact your immune system and of course your mental health. Unfortunately, there’s a whole lot of those going on in the world right now, so finding something to help you pause and perhaps mute it once a day is the trick. A daily meditation practice can help you ease the mind and body and bring you back to present. It can help you to normalize your breathing, which can get a tad out of whack when you are stressed or experiencing anxiety.

What can I use to help me meditate?

I love the free version of the Insight Timer App or i’d recommend checking out your local yoga studio, they are more than likely offering virtual meditations and yoga classes.

GET OUTSIDE

I mentioned moving your body up above, walks are of course a great, gentle way to move your body. I’d also recommend trying to take your morning tea, coffee outside if possible and get into the sunlight and fresh air right away. Getting outside helps to relieve stress and anxiety. Getting into nature can be extremely calming and healing for certain individuals (it is for me). It allows you to re-connect, pause and release.

If you’d like to read more about the mental health benefits of Forest Bathing, here’s a blog post we wrote back in the summer on this.

EAT NOURISHING, WHOLE FOODS

Feeding yourself real, nutrient dense food, is also a form of self-care and it’s certainly important when it comes to your physical and mental health. Eating real, nutrient dense foods are going to help keep you feeling well. Fast food, sugar filled foods are unfortunately not going to benefit your overall wellness. If you are feeling especially anxious during these times, consuming less sugar, alcohol and highly caffeinated drinks will help to steer you away from any extra feelings of anxiousness. Wellness inspired teas and lattes such as a golden turmeric, ginger latte are really great for this time of the year as they are warming, immune boosting and calming.

Get fresh, local and organic food delivered right to your door

I find using a service like Fresh City Farms or Mama Earth Organics (these are in Toronto) for grocery delivery, life saving! Get real, local, organic food delivered right to your door so that you can nourish your body more easily.

Eat real, nourishing food   

Permission to let go and take care of you

Sometimes we really struggle to give ourselves permission to just let go and take that ‘me time’. The belief that you need to keep going like an energizer bunny, to make it out there is a myth, but it’s been so deeply ingrained into who we are that sometimes we may need someone else to give us that permission. It could be a friend, sibling, therapist, energy worker, who knows. Maybe that someone is you for your bestie. 

Sending our friends little reminder gifts to self-care is something we love to do! If you’d like to send some happy mail, do check out our wellness promoting curated gift boxes. Good for you, good for the environment.

We’d love to know, how do you self-care?
Or how are you planning on adding a little more
self-care time into your day?

Drop us a comment below, we would love to connect!

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