If you read my life updates post (HERE) last week, you know I am in a season of transition. Basically, Brad and I are living with my parents while we renovate our home. Additionally, I am learning a new industry with my still very new job. Along with these personal changes, we are ending a decade and starting the fall and winter seasons. Read along to see my top 10 self-care habits for life change.
We are programmed to be change-averse and anxious during transition. Change for our ancestors meant all details were not known which physically put us in danger of predators. Although those dangers no longer exist, we hang onto the anxiety and fear of change.
Yoga
Of course, this one is a no-brainer. I teach every Wednesday, 7 PM at Soul Yoga, but it is also important for me to actually practice regularly as well. I try to take a minimum of 2 classes weekly to check in with my body and mind. Practice helps me get into my subconscious brain and really dig into what has been affecting my emotions and, simultaneously, body for the week.
Therapeutic Massage
We have run-of-the mill chain massages and then there are therapeutic massages, that are completely different ballgame. A therapeutic massage is designed to help realign your body and neutralize the overacting muscle groups of your body. They are specifically for recovery. I get a massage about once a month and it truly does wonders for my mental health and mindset. It is especially crucial if you are working out on a regular basis. A good masseuse will know where you have a tendency to hold tension & your physical habits. Each session will be catered to bring you back to your best physical state- rather than the same cookie cutter, generic routine everyone gets. If you are in Greenville, I highly recommend Josh Kelley with Integrative Bodyworks. He works right off Main Street in a quiet art gallery. His website is HERE.
“Haves” to “Gets & because”
We all have that list of things we need to do but are procrastinating for whatever reason. When I am really struggling with this, I will turn the chore from a “have” to a “get.”
EXAMPLE:
Instead of: “I have to bill a sponsor for a recent blog post.” or “I have to run 5 miles to keep up with my training schedule.”
Write/repeat to yourself 3 times: “I GET to bill a sponsor for a recent blog post BECAUSE I have this beautiful, creative side job that allows me extra spending money.” and “I GET to run 5 miles today to keep up with my training schedule BECAUSE God blessed me with physical endurance and health and I am about to accomplish something huge (half marathon) as a result.” I promise that you will be incredibly surprised at how much easier this tool makes chores.
A Sports Chiropractor
I visit Upstate Spine & Sport biweekly or at least monthly to correct and perfect both my posture and breath. Dr. Jolson was an integral part of my half marathon training in May. He covered muscle recovery, proper breath, alignment between long runs, and wrapped me for injury prevention before my big run. He focuses on prevention and recovery at the same time to help prevent injury and pain. They also offer acupuncture, fascial massage, and therapeutic massage. If you have muscle or body soreness or simply want a body check in that will leave you feeling 2 inches taller, schedule with Dr. Jolson and his team today. Find their contact information HERE.
Evening Brain Dumps
A brain dump is a common mental-health tool to get every last thought out of your mind at a certain time of day. Rather than holding onto millions of stress-inducing thoughts, you sit down and literally “ramble-write” everything on your mind. Lately, I have been repeating this exercise at night to avoid those late-night racing thoughts. It has helped me get to bed faster & more prepared for the next day.
Clean My Car
I can pretty much guarantee that if my life is crazy, my vehicle most certainly reflects that. I tend to ignore the status of my car as I have always viewed it as a way to get from Point A to Point B. However, these life messes that you ignore consciously can actually stress us out subconsciously. When your environment is clean, there is less for your subconscious mind to stress over. Clarity of surroundings converts to your mind.
Closet Clean Out
This goes hand in hand with cleaning your car. I love to go through my clothes, keeping the quality items that most reflect my soul while tossing the fluff that takes up space. This practice of cleansing your space will help you feel motivated, inspired, and clean.
Shoe Care
This is definitely a personal preference, but I actually love to clean my shoes! I wash the bottoms, wipe down suede, touch up leather, and buffer marks off patent with an eraser. I keep my shoes on display inside and shoes are actually pretty grimy and disgusting. It makes me feel super clean and calm to clean my shoes!
Lower Apple Watch Goals
This may seem counter-productive to you. However, it was getting frustrating when life got busy that I could not get my 600 active calories checked off my watch. I finally gave in and decided to lower them to a satisfactory, yet attainable level of 400 calories. We can’t all fit in a daily HIIT training, and a lower goal means I can check those little rings off without selling myself too short. My active average daily burn is 300 calories, so 400 forces me to at minimum take a long walk or do a set of burpees a few times throughout the day. Sometimes being ambitious simply increase stress if it is unattainable every day.
Take a Walk
If at nothing else, taking a good walk always, always makes me feel a little lighter and brighter. It is meditative, stress-reducing, good for your cardiovascular health, and if nothing else, at the end of the day, you did move your body.
Lucia Light Therapy
If I am already overwhelmed and have a busy day ahead, there is no time to get myself into the best mindset for productivity. That is when I turn to Lucia Light. We are lucky enough in Greenville, SC to have DRIFT FLOAT SPA that offers sensory deprivation tanks AND Lucia light sessions. Lucia light is literally a special light you lie under with your eyes closed while listening to relaxing music. It produces synesthesia, which is a rare mental state in which you see or associate music as shapes and colors. The light stimulates your pineal gland to produce a Fantasia-like array of colors, shapes, sounds, and patterns all behind your eyelid. The visual stimulation is extremely relaxing and brings a calm, clear-minded state unlike no other. It de-stresses and immediately reduces anxiety. If you have never tried it, I highly recommend you giving it a shot to see how it calms your mind and clears brain fog.
A Gratitude List
This last note is pretty self-explanatory. We all have days where we just seem to accomplish nothing. Rather than getting held up on what I did not accomplish, I sit down and write all the things I did that day- even if it seems like a trivial daily task. I associate each thing, even sleeping in, with personal growth and a need. Then I move back to the brain dumps, described above, so I don’t stay up late thinking about all the things I did not finish.
These are the primary habits I maintain on a regular basis to keep myself calm and cared for. Practicing self-care and giving myself these moments to check in with my brain truly helps me take on each week with positive energy. I hope you gained some ideas of new habits to work into your lifestyle. Let me know if you have any questions. Have a beautiful day!
With Joy,
Audrey
