My Current Top Five (Simple) Self-Care Practices

Recently, self-care has become very important to me and I do my best to make it a priority in my life, no matter how hectic it gets. I’ve dabbled in and out of some things and came to find what I like most and what works for me the best (and what is easiest to do in a pinch, in a short amount of time, and to do yourself. Because there are ton of other things I’m trying out that require a bit more than just your time and I’ll be sharing some of my experiences with those shortly as well.)

But for now, here are my current top five simple ways to give myself a little love:

Meditation
My journey with meditation has been a rough one – I used to get so frustrated with not being able to focus or unfocus and keep my mind blank that I would stop immediately and not try meditating again for months. But the second I heard and fully realized that meditation isn’t about making your mind blank, but allowing thoughts flow freely in and out without getting stuck on them, that I wasn’t doing it wrong, I came back to the practice and have been pretty consistent with at least some type of meditation each day. Right now I am really into guided meditations and some kundalini meditations as well. There are so many benefits to meditating – reducing stress and anxiety, increasing self-awareness, increases focus and attention span, the list goes on and on. I love to just take some time to quiet my soul and slow down – whether it be a 3 minute breathwork meditation when I wake up, or a longer kundalini meditation with a purpose in the evening. I even sometimes step out to my car to meditate during the day if the office gets crazy – you can meditate and use breathwork anywhere!
These are a few of my current favorites:
– Elevate the Globe – 3 minutes of breathwork meditation – perfect to start or end your day or for a quickie anytime during your day if you need it.
– Anything from Boho Beautiful’s guided meditation playlist – Each guided meditation has a certain focus and a mantra to go along with it. You can scroll through the playlist and pick which meditation you need that day depending on how you feel.
– Raw Talk with Sheena – Sheena has done some great meditation episodes that guide you through a meditation with a certain focus. Just scroll through to find them and give them a try!
Yoga
I am still very new to yoga, but I love to pull up a guided video on YouTube, roll out my mat, and do my best. My favorite kind is the slow, relaxing, stress relieving flows, but I do also like to mix it up and do some yoga workouts as well. My top favorite channel for this is Boho Beautiful and I also like to use Yoga with Adriene sometimes as well. Yoga really helps my body to release any tension its holding, and take some time to just focus on what I’m doing in that moment instead of everything that is on my to-do list.
Nightly Salt Baths
I have recently fallen in love with these. After dinner, when I’m about to get ready for bed is my favorite time for a salt bath. I love that the Epsom salt acts as a detoxifier, and I am now trying only use salts with 100% natural ingredients (no “parfume”, etc.) I love that you can use basic Epsom salt, or you can spice it up and get these blends with natural ingredients added that smells or properties support you in multiple ways. (Not to mention some of them look super pretty too.) I try to read a book, relax, or meditate during this time, to relax me and keep me in a positive, calm mindset right before bed. I may be doing a post on my favorite bath salt brands in the very near future, so stay tuned!
*Photo from www.womenfitness.net
Getting Out in Nature
My husband and I just took a long walk yesterday. Granted, it was mostly on cement and I would’ve preferred a hike in the woods or hills, but we still got our nature fix. We looked at the different birds down in the water we passed, noticed all of the nests in the many trees, and took in a lot of fresh air. Not only is a walk or hike in nature a great way to sneak in some exercise (which is great for you as well) – I burned 200 calories this morning just walking and enjoying myself! But it is also a great way to connect with the world around us that we may not notice every day, have an amazing conversation with a friend or loved one, and calm yourself down. And boy do I miss the nature from our visit to Colorado!
Grounding
Now this I don’t get to do very often – but I absolutely love it. If you google “grounding” you’ll find this: “Grounding, or earthing, refers to connecting electrically with the Earth. A growing body of research is finding numerous health benefits as a result of the physical body being grounded.” And it’s true – and so easy! All you need to do is take of your shoes and walk on sand, grass, dirt, or even cement if that’s all you have. You just need to be at ground level, connect with the energy of the earth and breath as you walk. My personal favorite way to ground is to walk along the beach, dipping my toes in the water and feeling the sand all over my feet. It might sound a little crazy to some, but give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!