10 Ways to Incorporate Self Care in Your Daily Life

Happy May, beautiful souls! As the coronavirus drags on, let’s shift our focus to more self-care this month. Spring is all about renewal & we need to consistently nurture ourselves so that we can be renewed. Self-care is all about doing the things that make you feel happier, healthier, and high vibrational. It’s about taking the time to pour the love into yourself that you so willingly give to others and aligning with your highest self.  If you’re feeling down on yourself, especially with everything happening in the world, the best thing you can do is choose to do something loving for yourself instead of focusing your energy on what’s wrong.

Here are 10 ways you can incorporate self-care into your daily life:

1. Start each day with 3 positive affirmations in the mirror to boost your self-confidence and self-love. How you speak to yourself matters. Start the day speaking love, abundance, and wholeness into yourself. Let love-of-self set the tone for each day!
2. Get a massage to relieve physical tension (there’s almost always a deal on Groupon for this!) Massage your arms & legs each night after you shower & moisturize. If you want to kick it up a notch, try a Thai massage! I had my first Thai massage in Bangkok and felt like a new person afterward!
3. Treat yourself to nourishing healthy meals. What are you telling yourself with the food you choose to put in your temple? Do you choose foods that show you love yourself or foods that are sabotaging your health goals?
4. Spend time on a yoga mat or incorporate deep restorative stretches into your daily routine. This is especially important at night after a long day of taxing your body. Take 10 minutes before bed to deeply stretch your body and release any built-up tension from the day! Try this 10-minute nighttime yoga flow with Mel Douglas of the Black Women’s Yoga Collective.
5. Prioritize regular exercise by building your schedule around your wellness instead of trying to fit it in after other obligations.  Movement is critical for good mental and physical health. If you can only spare 20 minutes some days, that’s perfectly fine. The biggest thing is making a consistent choice to move your body. Remember: Your physical health is the basis for everything you want to do in this life. My health is my number one priority. Nothing takes precedence over how I treat myself anymore. I block out my work calendar for my morning wellness so I don’t have to make the choice between my work or my wellness. This is the epitome of self-love & self-care.
6. Spend time connecting with your creative passions. Did you grow up writing poetry, drawing, painting, doing improv? Carve out time to do all the things you loved before life got in the way.
7. Make time to reconnect with yourself solo even if it’s just a couple of hours on the weekend. Spend time learning who you really are and how you go that way. Get clear on your values. Does the life you’re living and the choices you’re making actually align with those values?
8. Go for mindful walks after you get home from work. This is a great way to leave the day behind and shed any energy or thoughts that brought you down during the day. It’s a great reset button.
9. Meditate in the morning to set the tone for a peaceful day & meditate before bed for a deeper more restorative sleep. As little as 10 minutes of meditation can have profound effects on your mind, body & soul.
10. Get a restorative sleep routine in place. I like to play relaxing spa music before I hop in the shower. I turn on my essential oil diffuser and add Ylang-ylang and eucalyptus to create a relaxing ambiance before I even get in the bed to help my mind and body relax.

You are important! Your wellness matters. Treat yourself like the prize that you are each and every day. Make choices every day that shows you how much you care about you! Let go of habits, people, and thoughts that don’t uplift you. You are worthy of all that is good, now is the time to make the choice to give yourself exactly that.