CartWe women (and men!) often have a hard time taking care of ourselves. This can be especially true if we work in the health and wellness community in which taking care of others is our main concern. But you’d be amazed at how much self care you can do by just taking a quick 15-minute break for yourself each day. Taking this tiny break can have a huge effect on your mental health and energy level. And also taking care of others really begins when we take care of ourselves
Here are some tips on how to take a quick time out:
YOUGA- Yoga for YOU!. Do a quick yoga pose, such as the classic Downward Dog. Stretch the arms away from the body, keeping them aligned with the spine. You can push through the first finger or the middle finger. Have the heels hip width apart and the legs straight. Push through the heels and up through the tailbone in opposing directions. The top of the head can be pointing down or in line with the direction of force through the arms. Raise the navel upwards towards the chest. This will straighten the lower back. Downward Dog stretches your back, neck, Achilles, calves and your mind. Breathe in. Exhale. Hang in there and push your heels in for as long as you can. Stand up and repeat a few times. Don’t forget to breathe! Yogic breathing can make all the difference in your metabolism, ability to overcome stress, your state of mind and the quality of your thoughts.
Take a long shower. Instead of your normal 3 minute-lather-rinse-repeat schvitz, linger in the shower. Slather on a face mask or a deep conditioning hair mask (or both!) and suds up with your fanciest shower gel such as the Dragontree Uplift shower gel. Using a fresh thick loofah really gets the suds sloshing and truly enhances the experience!
Grab a beverage. Go to your local cafe and grab a gourmet fancy coffee beverage such as a mocha or a latte. Most places will substitute soy milk or sugar free flavors for those of you watching your waistline. Relax into a chair while you sip. Maybe even order a cookie or coffeecake to dip in your delightful beverage. Yum!!
Call your pals. When you’re feeling like you’ve hit a wall, a phone call to the right friend is sure to recharge your soul. Reminiscing or laughing hysterically with an old girlfriend can take your mind off your to-do list and give your mood the lift it was looking for.
Blast your favorite song. Find your new personal anthem and belt it out. This is especially fun if you find yourself tensing up during rush hour traffic!
Powernap!. And take a quick nap. “Just laying down for 15-20 minutes can hit the reset button in your brain and have rejuvinative effects on the mind and body.
Give yourself a foot massage. Don’t wait for your significant other to give you that foot massage! Do it yourself!! Get some thick foot cream(THE DRAGONTREE Balance lotion works and smells especially great for this) and really work it into your heels and toes. Spend at least 5 minutes on each foot. When you’re finished, slide on some soft socks or booties.
Grab some balls. Put one or two on the floor. Lay down and slowly roll them around on your back, concentrating on any knots or tight spots. Or slip off your shoes and roll your foot on top of one of the balls for a quick tension release. I find a golf ball to be a good starter ball for this and eventually graduating to a tennis ball.
~Piper Williamse, Lead LMT, NW
