Self Care Ideas

Are you feeling overwhelmed? Stressed? Anxious? Maybe it's time to take a break and really take care of yourself. You feel as if your busy schedule doesn't allow you time for that? Well I am here to tell you exactly how you can dedicate a few minutes of your day to your own health and self-care in order to succeed in whatever it is that you wish to do with the remainder of your time.

Believe me, I've been there, feeling so overwhelmed with school, work, trying to maintain a social life, all while neglecting the most important part of the equation, me. With working full time, all while being a full time student, I have managed to find a few ways that make me feel rejuvenated in less than 10 minutes. It has been a real life changer and I want to share those ways with you as well. You do not have to dedicate an entire day, which I will definitely write about eventually, but rather a few minutes for the ideas I am about to share.

1. Everyone that knows me knows I am a coffee addict. I love the smell, the taste, and simply the ritual of drinking a cup of coffee, unfortunately for me, coffee isn't the best idea for individuals with anxiety, it makes it way worse, at least in my experience. So in order to balance out the crazy amounts of coffee I consume, I have switched over to tea, and not just any tea, Tulsi. For many of you that don't know, Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil, is a leaf that originated in India, that is known for its adaptogenic properties. For those that don't know what that means, I sure didn't a couple of years ago, it is great for anxiety as it is anti-stress. When I tell you that thing relaxes you, I mean it. When you first drink it, it can have a weird effect on you, kind of buzzed feeling, but it has easily become a staple in my routine as it really does relax me.

Finding Tulsi is way easier now than it used to be a year ago, it is now sold in Whole Foods, Publix, and even HomeGoods and TJMaxx, etc. You can find it online or at any health food store, although my favorite place to get it is definitely HomeGoods, because it's so much cheaper! 

Have a cup at the end of your night, or even mid-afternoon and see how you feel, how better you sleep, or how calm your mind becomes. I highly recommend it, which is why it's my #1!

2. Yes, you guessed it. I am following the basic trends for self-care tips and the staple of any of those, is a good face mask. And before you ask, no I will not be sharing any DIY masks in this post. Not because I don't like them, or don't know any good ones, trust me, I know them all. But as a person that has been dealing with acne for nearly half of my life, I know what works. The number one face mask you can count on for clearing your pores, impurities and sins, is only two ingredients, and those are Bentonite Clay (also known as the Aztec healing clay mask) and good old apple cider vinegar. Very simple, very easy, burns the dear life out of your face and you will look like a tomato at the end, but trust me, it works.

A good mask can erase all the damage that stress is doing to your skin. This will in turn leave you more confident and relaxed, as that is one less thing you have to worry about, skin. And who isn't worried and stressed when their skin isn't looking their best? The best thing about this self-care tip is that you can do it while doing something else. Combine tip #1 and #2 for a really good relaxing ritual.

3. Am I an expert at meditation? Definitely not. Do I see the value and benefits it brings to people? Definitely yes. I am a firm believer that a calm mind allows us to more clearly see the world around us, process information, limit stress, along other things. I struggle with anxiety and I found that meditating for only 5 minutes per day has greatly reduced the stress of my daily life and enabled me to sleep better. You can do it first thing in the morning, to set the tone for the day, or do it right before sleep, which is my favorite, in order to fall asleep faster, without your mind wandering and keeping you up, so you can get those beauty Z's.

I had the most trouble meditating when I first started, actually, to be quite honest with you, I still do. I have not surpassed 10 minutes of meditation as of yet, I actually don't think it's humanly possible to do so, and people that meditate for hours are magical. Don't stress if you are unable to do so for longer than a couple minutes at first, it gets better with practice I promise, and do not knock it till you actually try it for a few days.

There are many apps on the market that offer free guided meditation, and that is still my go-to way of meditating. Something about a nice man telling you when to breathe in and breathe out makes it a thousand times easier.

4. Believe it or not, spending time in nature, or simply outside improves your mood. Shocker right? I am in no way, shape, or form telling you to go climb a mountain or run a marathon right now, but find ways to incorporate nature into your life will significantly reduce stress and your overall mood. Next time you are on the phone, go for a walk, whether it's around your neighborhood, a park, or beach if you have one near. Study outside, take your dog out for a walk, drive with the windows down. Any way that you can feel the sunshine on your skin will make you feel more relaxed.

My favorite way of incorporating nature into my day is to study at the pool, I will often bring my textbook to the pool and do my readings there. Another way I try to get some sunshine in at work is to walk around on my break, around my building, and do my social media checking there. Try it and believe me, you'll feel like you had a real break from your daily routine.

5. Alright, last but definitely not least, especially in my list, is food. You are what you eat, I am a firm believer of that, and although that ice cream is calling your name, eating something nutritious is the ultimate self-care tip. There are many yummy options that you can indulge in, all while reaping all the health benefits in order to feel and perform better. Treat yourself on your self-care days, eat a bowl of fruit, make a delicious smoothie, vegetables and ranch? Yum!

When you eat something that provides you the vitamins your body needs, you'll definitely feel better, there are many foods that have stress relieving benefits, and I will share some with you guys eventually, and they definitely helped me feel at my absolute best.
So treat your body right, from the inside as well, it will thank you!

Which tip was your favorite ? Are you already incorporating those into your daily routine? What other tips can you share with me? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, I'd love to hear them!
                       
                                                                                                       XoXo, Anita