Self Care and your wellness
Hey there, so happy your back for Wellness Wednesday.
Over the last several weeks we have been on a wellness journey and self care is such an important part of that.
So far we have talked about getting a good nights sleep, toxins in our homes, clean eating, exercise and now self care.
Self care is action centered around our physical, emotional, relational, professional, educational and spiritual being.
It is the foundation for building optimal overall wellness.
Many times as women we look at our schedules and think we do not have time to spend on ourselves.
Yet when we do a “self-care” audit we find that some of the things we currently spend time on could be better spent on “recharging our own batteries.”
It is often looked at as an act of selfishness, when in fact it is vital to our being and wellness.
This practice can range from doing small things to help you relax after a long day at work or home, to taking a much needed vacation.
According to the American Psychological Association, “45% of women lay awake at night due to stress.”
Reducing stress in your life can be one of the most important things you can do for your wellness. Practicing routine self care is one way to reduce stress.
One way to practice self care and reduce stress is by using aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is considered to be a valuable tool to add to your self care and wellness. It is art and science, involving the chemistry of essential oils providing therapeutic properties.
Some health benefits of aromatherapy include reduced anxiety, eased depression and increased energy levels to name a few.
Medical News Today reported that “essential oils stimulates the olfactory system, the part of the brain connected to smell. As the molecules reach the brain, they affect the limbic system which is linked to our emotions, heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress and hormone balance.”
One of the simplist ways to add aromatherapy to your wellness routine, is to use a diffuser with essential oils in your home.
You can find diffuser’s every where these days, in all prices ranges depending on what you are looking for, just be careful with the essential oils you are using.
Make sure the oils you are using are pure therapeutic grade oils, so you are not introducing more chemicals into your home.
If you have questions about essential oils you can do some research or you can send me a message I can answer your questions.
Results of the fast paced society we live in are stress and anxiety. Making it important to begin a routine of self care.
It is extremely important to make time for “Me time”, by carving out 15 minutes out of your day to turn your mind off, and allow yourself to just sit quietly and just be.
Another simple, yet important aspect of self care is starting with learning how to say no to some things in your life.
Saying no will help decrease stress and overwhelm and in turn help give you the time you need to practice self care.
Other simple things you can do to practice daily self care are listed below.
Self care tools
- getting adequate sleep (Week 1 of Wellness Wednesday)
- create a morning routine
- removing toxins from your home that may increase hormonal stress (Week 3 of Wellness Wednesday)
- fueling your body with adequate nutrition (Week 4 of Wellness Wednesday)
- getting enough exercise (Week 5 of Wellness Wednesday)
- Calm app – meditation and sleep stories
- Headspace app – guided meditation and mindfulness
- read a good book, a few suggestions are:
“The Best Yes” by Lysa Terkeurst
“The Way of Abundance” by AnnVoskamp
“Present Over Perfect” by Shauna Niequist
- take a course to learn a new skill
- get outside and get some fresh air and vitamin D
- taking a brisk walk
As mothers, wives, friends, coworkers and caretakers, it is important to make ourselves an important priority in our lives.
You have heard the saying that “you can not pour from an empty cup.”
We can not physically pour into our children, marriage, blogs, community or our church if we are not able to care for ourselves mentally or spiritually.
The idea here is not to complicate things, but to add a little window in our days to refuel.
Possibilities of self care really are endless, find what is important to you and your self care, take the time to pursue it.
“Taking care of yourself does not mean me first, it means me too.” L.R. Krost
Love yourself daily so that you can enjoy your wellness journey.
Till next time
xoxo
Sonya
Thanks for sharing this Sonya. For me personally, I tend to neglect self care even though I know it’s important.
>> Christene
Keys to Inspiration
Neglecting ourselves tends to be the norm, especially for moms. Hope you can use some of these tips to take some time for yourself Christene.
Great suggestions, Sonya! I used my lavender heating pads the other night, and just the aroma started putting me to sleep. I want to get a diffuser, though! Also, I’ve used the Headspace app, and it’s great. My old consulting firm actually pays for all of their consultants to have it now.
Thank you Crissy. That is awesome that your old company pays for that app, shows they really care about their employees.Hope you find a diffuser to use.
Great post, Sonya… Love the book recommendations… those authors a couple of my faves! Using Mrs. Meyers peony fragranced dish soap always makes me feel good. I always think I’m getting some aromatherapy when I do the dishes! Thanks for sharing!
Aw thank you Julie, I love those books as well as the authors. I have not smelled the peony soap, need to check that out as peonies are my very favorite.