My Favorite Self-Care Tools
Whew, I have missed you all so much the past few weeks. It feels amazing to be back behind this keyboard and into my writing and wellness routine.
As you may know, my dad is sick and caring for him has taken a large part of my time, energy and spirit. It has been the most exhausting time of my life and yet, the things I am doing have brought me much closer to him. It feels so valuable and the slowing down of my life has made me remember time and time again what is truly important.
It has also made me focus more intentionally on my self-care practices, doing things that make me feel good and tossing the coulda-shoulda-woulda to-do lists out the window. It has helped me clear out the junk and focus my mind and vision on what is truly valuable.
I wanted to share with you some things that have helped me feel good both inside and out the past few months.
1. Foam Roller- Rolling out my tight muscles and laying across across it to open up my chest muscles helps my muscles feel great from a long day on my feet and helps to relax my mind. I seriously could never imagine my evening routine without it, especially when things have been so stressful and chaotic lately.
2. Essential Oils- Diffusing these bad boys has done WONDERS for lifting my mood (and no I do not sell them). I believe my body has been conditioned to melt into relaxation the moment my nose smells them. My favorite brand is Rocky Mountain Oils.
3. Resistance Band- One simple tool can give you the ability to strengthen all of the major muscle groups in your body and varying levels of difficulty. When you don't have time (or simply hate) going to the gym, this tool can help you get it done at home.
4. Yoga Mat, Block and Strap- If you know one thing about me, it is that I am yoga obsessed. If I only chose one form of exercise to do for the rest of my life, I would be down-dogging every single day. These are the three basics that will help you get started with your yoga practice.
5. Loose Leaf Tea- This has become a part of my evening ritual and I LOVE it. The smells, the medicinal uses, the calming effect a warm cup of tea in my hands has on me. It has become so much fun to try different flavors every night.
6. Books, Books, Books- I truly believe that before we change anything, we have to start with what is going on in between our own two ears first. Whether I am learning something new, exploring a problem I seem to be having or simply finding peace through somebody else's words, I always have a book that I am reading. The good thing is you can always visit your local library or find free ebooks on amazon. I am currently reading Restorative Yoga For Life: A relaxing way to de-stress, re-energize, and find balance. It was free on Amazon and full of great information. Definitely a recommended read.
I hope you find this list of self-care tools helpful if not to use yourself than to get your brain thinking of things that would work specifically for you!
Do you have a self-care routine or tools that you use to make sure you are taken care of?
If you feel like you are ready to take the next step and create intentional action and create a self-care plan, come get a free copy of my self-care guide and checklist. It is the process that I started with and still use to this day to help make sure I am taken care of.
Feel free to send me an email or comment if you have any questions!
With Love,
Shannon
