Here are a few tips to help you get started with a self-care practice. Self Care is a conscious action done habitually to care for our spiritual, emotional, mental and physical health¹.

Monitor Your Mental Health

If I’m suffering from depression, I pick up a bottle of Saint John’s Wort tea or capsules from my grocery store. This yellow-flowered plant contains compounds that have the potential to relieve depression, reduce anxiety, ease PMS, and help you sleep.

Saint John’s Wort is used as a popular alternative to anti-depressants in Europe, particularly Germany, because it has fewer side-effects than selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Don’t expect instant results, however, the herb takes 1 – 3 months to take effect.

Moreover, Saint John’s Wort interacts with other medications, so check with your doctor before incorporating Saint John’s Wart into your life.

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Loosen Your Hips

Our hips store a lot of our emotion, and pigeon helps to release the tense fascia in our joints as well as the sadness, anger, and stress we have stored there.

Pigeon Pose From downward dog, bring your right foot to the base of your left hand. Relax your right knee down so that your right leg is in the shape of the number seven. If this is enough for your hips, stay here. If you are looking for more, relax your torso down over top of this front leg, coming down onto your forearms or all the way outstretched (above). Repeat on the other side.

Camel Pose Come to standing on your knees, and place your hands on your low back as if they were pushing your hips forward. Slowly start to lean back. Only go as far back as your feel comfortable, and, when you are ready, grab for your heels. Make sure your hips keep pushing forward as your torso moves backwards. A very powerful heart opener, camel makes you vulnerable but also stimulates your digestion. Be careful because a lot of people feel nauseous in this pose, so only go back as far as your stomach will let you!

Happy Baby Lay down on your back and stick your feet in the air. Then, grab the inside edges of your feet with your hands so that your arms are being hugged by your legs. Roll around or just stay here. Happy baby works out our lower backs and is a nice counter exercise to the hip openers.

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Eat mindfully

Choose nutrient dense whole foods, stay present and enjoy your meals. Below are some meals you might enjoy that are easy to make.

Baked sweet potato. This is such an easy snack. Just pop a sweet potato into the oven. When you are ready to snack, just scoop out the potato and enjoy!

Smoothie. I typically enjoy a smoothie as a quick and filling meal each day. For me, a smoothie can even be a meal in itself.

Pumpkin Seeds. Raw seeds that have been sprouted will help to ensure that your body is getting all the pure nutrients that the seeds have to offer. I personally love pumpkin seeds, but I encourage you to check out other sorts of nuts and seeds that you might like to munch on.

Kale chips. Make your own kale chips by lightly coating fresh kale leaves with olive oil and sea salt, then place them into an oven at its lowest temperature (about 150 degrees, depending on the over). Let them bake until they become crispy. Don’t want to make your own? There are tons of great brands at whole foods and other health stores.  Sooo addictive!

Water. Sometimes what you think is hunger is really dehydration. Cut back on the processed fruit juices, coffee, and teas to curb your thirst and drink some water instead. You may find you weren’t hungry at all, just thirsty.

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Start Meditating

When I first tried meditating, I felt tempted to give up and think about the dozens of emails waiting for a reply, and the four writing assignments that were due the same month. Plan after plan bombarded my minutes of “peace.” I was trying to meditate at work during my 15 minutes of break time. Big mistake! 

One early morning, I decided to let go of my worries. As I was in my car in a practically empty parking lot, I felt I finally found the place. It was 6 a.m., dark, and practically silent. There’s something about being alone and not worrying about being interrupted that eases the mind.

Just find a comfortable position, ideally seated on a cushion or chair with back support. Place your hands in your lap and close your eyes.

There is something very soothing about closing your eyes and focusing on the sounds of your surroundings. While I was meditating at 6 am, I heard birds chirping and airplanes flying. The sounds of their freedom were calming.

While in my meditation zone, I feel my body less rigid. I sink into the seat and my heartbeat slows down. Breathe in, count to ten, and breathe out. 

Jermaine Richter, a food scientist and owner of JAR Health & Wellness Coaching, suggests giving yourself permission to unplug from the noise. Pray, meditate, go on a walk. Your body will send you signals. Don’t just brush it of off, get quiet and listen. The more you listen, the easier it becomes to understand what your body needs.

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Sleep

Adults should get around eight hours of sleep each night. Without those 8 hours, we just aren’t as energetic or efficient as we could be, no matter what part of our lives we’re talking about. Our bodies work hard over the course of the day and often, we don’t realize how much we need rest.

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Get Gratitude

Take a couple of minutes each day to write down a few things that you’re grateful for, you’ll be amazed what a positive effect it has on your mood. We often push ourselves to the limit, burning the candle at both ends. Rewarding your body with restful sleep is vital for rejuvenation.

Think of Self-Care as a beautifully wrapped gift of love that you give yourself every day. So when your will gets weak and your thoughts seem scatter, ask yourself, did I open the gift of Self-Care today? Share with us your self-care ideas in the comments!