Self care is something that many people don’t prioritize. Taking care of your mind, body and soul are extremely important. Practicing self-care, to reduce or eliminate stress and unhealthy habits from life is a fantastic upgrade to an individual’s way of living. Everyone has their own definition of self-care. It is allowing yourself to do whatever makes you feel good and at peace. Every act that makes your soul feel at home and brings a clearer and positive mindset is an act of self-care.
The primary step to adding self-care to your routine is to identify everything that feeds your mind, soul and body positively, from the inside out. The way through which we spend our lives matters a lot. It is the foundation of our mental wellbeing. If you have been practicing self-care, you will notice that whenever you fall out of it, you begin to feel off track. Your body doesn’t feel right, and you don’t usually have the power to attend to things properly. Your productivity dies out, and life seems blue. This is where your body needs you to pivot and attend to your self-care rituals.
Self-care brings energy and positivity in your life. Simply start by promising 10 minutes to yourself daily, doing whatever makes your body feel relaxed and at peace. Here are some ways through which you can upgrade your self-care practices and make yourself feel at home, nourishing your existence.
Start Your Day With A Cup Of Sunshine
We all have a beverage that is absolutely vital for us to start our day. It is best to start your day with a full glass of lukewarm water with lemon and then get your cup of green juice or tea, whatever it is that sums up your morning beverage. You just need to adapt the way you drink it. Don’t be in a rush. Sip at it slowly and calmly.
If you have a personal space in your house, which activates your senses, then sit there and slowly sip on your cup of sunshine. This is the best time to meditate as well. You can write in a journal about how you visualize the day ahead of you or how you want it to be. Or you can try other ways to meditate.
Meditation is not as easy to add to your routine, it takes time. Thus start with as little as 5 minutes and then work up to 15-20 minutes. Mindfulness, setting a mantra for the day and deep breathing are the most natural forms of meditating in the morning. Now, you can head out to work with a lot of confidence and positivity, booming from your body.
Upgrade Your Nighttime Routine
A nighttime routine is vital to calm your senses and declutter your mind from the entire day’s stresses. A warm shower, followed by a cup of hot tea or maybe a good face massage or skincare routine, can make you feel at peace. Giving yourself 10 minutes of self-care before you doze off makes it easier for you to fall asleep. It will also help you feel fresher in the morning, and a skincare routine will give your skin the nourishment it deserves.
If you’re someone who likes to read before bed, choose a book that will inspire you and make you feel good. Reading something light-hearted or funny is often just what we need before going off to dreamland.
Also, make sure that you get into bed at the optimal time for you and try your best to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep. Your sleeping pattern holds a lot of importance in your overall energy, and you must pay attention to it.
Practice The Pause
We are always on the go, which makes it hard for our body to relax. But if you have the power to pause, take a step back and just breathe in that moment of serenity. You can even practice it when you are stuck in traffic or waiting for your food at a restaurant, any time where you feel there is no escape from this world’s chaos. When we train our bodies to pause and take a breath, it becomes easier to do so when we are feeling overwhelmed. This is a practice you can carry with you throughout your day. Reminding yourself that it is okay to pause, and practicing it regularly is crucial.
Try Pausing for just one minute and close your eyes. Take some deep breaths in and out. Notice how your body feels in that moment, what thoughts come up for you and then let them go. Just focus on your breath and the present moment. Try adding positive affirmations in the pausing ritual too. Saying things like “I am capable” or “I can handle this” to yourself will help you feel more empowered.
Try Dry Brushing Before The Shower
Dry brushing helps improve lymphatic drainage, which can help detoxify your body and reduce inflammation. It also boosts circulation and digestion, as well as relieves stress and tension headaches. All of these benefits make it worth adding this simple self-care ritual to your day.
To dry brush, all you need is a natural bristle brush. Start at the bottom of your feet making circular motions with the bristles moving upwards towards your heart. Be gentle around sensitive areas like ankles, knees and armpits, but be sure to spend extra time on the areas where you carry most of your stress like lower back, stomach and shoulders.
Continue to slowly move up your legs toward your heart in gentle circular motions until you reach the upper part of your thighs. Spend some more time here too as it is an area which can benefit from increased circulation. Once done with both legs, move up to the lower part of your stomach and spend some more time on this area.
Finally, move onto your arms from the elbows towards the heart in circular motions just like you did with legs. Once done, gently brush over entire torso using small circles all the way up toward the chin and then back down to where it started at the feet. Get into a rhythm and try to do this for about five minutes.
This ritual is especially effective if you have some time to devote towards yourself first thing in the morning or last thing at night. This way, you can start and end your day feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.
Prioritize Yourself
Upgrading your self care rituals is the key to feeling better within yourself. Self-care isn’t reserved for a day at the spa or even taking time off work. It’s about doing the things that make you feel good, no matter how small they are and practicing them regularly until they become part of who you are. So, try adding some of these rituals into your day and see how you feel. You may be surprised at the positive difference they make in not only your mood but also your overall well-being. Feed your mind, body and soul with these positive self-care rituals. Self love is the best care you can give yourself!
Next Level
Take your rituals to the next level. Join Dr. Wagner for the Body Optimized experience. Take an 8 week journey to transform your daily routines and practices to build the foundations of vibrant health. Register here.
