Prioritize Your Restorative Practices
So often we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our lives and never sit back and prioritize what it means to give ourselves even 10 minutes of personalized time. Whether it’s taking a moment to enjoy a cup of coffee, read a chapter of a book, or even just breathe.
During the third week of our Fall Mindbody Tune-Up, we’re focusing on building restorative practices into our schedules and prioritizing self-care. Starting with…
Mindfulness and Meditation
If it’s been a day where you’ve bitten off more than you can chew and you can feel the stress creeping up, take 5 minutes to meditate and breathe. By practicing meditation, you can almost instantly experience a reduction in anxiety and stress.
Whether you put on a pair of headphones and sit in a chair listening to your favorite music as you focus on intentional breathing, or use a guided meditation app, such as Calm or Headspace, you may be surprised how much lighter you feel after taking a few minutes for yourself.
For other benefits of meditation and how to get started, click here.
Stretch Your Body
A lot of times we carry our stress in the pelvic floor, our hips and hamstrings, so it’s important to stretch consistently to release that built up tension. Set aside about 10 minutes each day to give yourself some time to get into deep stretches that allow you to release everything to the mat or floor.
And while it will help you feel better in the moment, it can also dramatically improve areas of pain you feel long after your nightly stretching sessions.
Not to mention it can help with joint health, improved posture, and exercise form.
Treat Yourself
If you can find an hour in your schedule this week, we suggest that you “treat yourself.” Whether that’s getting into your favorite robe and putting on a face mask, getting a massage or maybe even a pedicure. You deserve the indulgence from time-to-time.
If you don’t have the time to get to the spa, consider also taking a long, hot, relaxing Epsom salt bath at the end of your day. Perhaps you light a few lavender-scented candles and play some soothing music while you’re at it. Just take the time to be able to relax.
And remember, It’s perfectly okay and necessary to pamper yourself. Honestly, you may find that the positive results you feel after the fact, requires you to amp up the self-care more often. Regardless of what you do, take that moment to self-reflect on your day, relationships and all of the positive things that are going on in your life.
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We tend to get so caught up on our physical and emotional needs that self-care is typically the first thing to go, so make this week about “you.” No matter what self-indulgence you choose to do, make sure that you’re truly taking in the moment and giving yourself a chance to relax and overall prioritize your needs.
