Self-care is More than Baths and Candles

When you think of self-care, the typical scene that comes to mind is a woman luxuriating in a bubble bath with a glass of wine and candles surrounding the tub. While this is the more popular self-care ritual, self-care is about so much more. It’s about paying attention to and taking better care of your mind, body, and spirit. To get you started on your path to full self-care (or just refresh your memory of alternative options for self-care), we have put together 10 of our favorite self-care tips that get your mind, body, and your spirit engaged, baby. We aren’t saying to stop indulging in a luxurious bath, we are all for baths and wine. These tips can be easily incorporated into your current rituals and take your self-care to the next level!

1. Start a "You Go Girl/Boy" jar or box. Take an old mason jar or box and decorate it with your favorite colors/patters/pictures. Write down all the compliments [that you receive from people] on pieces of paper and store them in your jar/box. When you are having a hard day, take them out and remind yourself that you are loved and appreciated.
2. Give your body a few minutes of mindful attention. The body scan technique(3, 5, or 10 minutes) is a meditative practice that incorporates deep breathing with focused attention to each part of the body.
3. Check in with a special person in your life. This special person could be a relative, a partner, or even a coworker that you have a strong connections with. Take a few moments out of your day to text, call, or even instant message them. These moments help brighten your day and keep your spirits high.
4. Engage in a pleasurable trance. Engage your mind in an activity that brings you joy, be it a crossword or sudoku puzzle in the newspaper, or a brain game on your smart phone. The cares of daily life drop away as you become absorbed in the activity.
5. Make one small change to your diet for the week. Drink an extra glass of water each day, or have an extra serving of veggies with each meal.
6. Write out your negative thoughts. Write for fifteen minutes about anything bothering you or causing you stress. When you are done, let it go as you burn (use safe burning practices) or throw away the paper.
7. Replace negative people on your social media feeds. With some social media sites, you can unfollow or mute the person, if you do not want to completely delete them at this time. Replace them with people who have a positive message, or inspire you in some way.
8. Use the healing energy of hand warming to relieve stress. Vigorously rub the palms of your hands together for 30-60 seconds. When your hands are warm, place the palms over your eyes with your fingers resting lightly on your forehead. Allow the heat to help calm your nerves and reduce stress levels.
9. Create new joyful rituals. Create easy to do rituals (alone and with your loved ones) that ground your day and you'll find your way "home" no matter what life throws at you.
10. Have a romantic dinner with yourself. Treat yourself to a delicious dinner complete with your favorite wine and music. Take this time to read from your "You Go Girl/Boy" jar or box. Enjoy your own company because you are awesome.

What do you think of our tips? Do they inspire you to step outside of the box with your self-care rituals? What's your favorite self-care ritual? Let us know and your self care tip just might be our featured self care tip of the week! Each quarter, one entry will be selected and that person will win a free self-care item from one of our partners!