When February comes around, we might think about Valentine's Day, red roses, chocolate heart boxes, and the love's in our lives. But what about the person we need to love the most - ourselves?
All year round we are taking care of our health, wellness, living our purpose, and happiness. Can you look in the mirror and say "I love you" and really mean it? I'm not suggesting an unhealthy love such as narcissism, but a real honesty with oneself about how we are treating self. If this is a challenge, we might be using food or other external things to sooth emotions.
For 8 practices that feed your soul, and support your health and self-love, read the latest blog post here.
1. Get moving - Find movement you enjoy and engage in it daily. Move throughout the day to show love to your physical body and emotional self - moving more helps with our feel good hormones and mental health too.
2. Sleep, rest, and relax - When you’re sleep-deprived and/or stressed, your body will crave sugary snacks and caffeine for quick artificial energy. Chronic stress and lack of sleep are also inflammatory to the body and can lead to "dis-ease".
3. Schedule fun time - Boredom and stress can lead to overeating. Make sure to take time to laugh, play, and participate in activities you love.
4. Take a hot bath - This is a great way to engage the relaxation response and wipe out cortisol, the stress hormone at the root of weight gain. Add some Epsom salts, baking soda, and lavender oil for an ultimate spa treatment at home.
5. Meditation - Meditation is another great tool to engage the relaxation response. Start with just five minutes each day and build your way up. Want to try it? Check out meditationexercises.com and sign up for 100 days of meditation with an email and a meditation each day for 100 days.
6. Make your food look good - Use gorgeous dishware and plate your food in a way that’s aesthetically pleasing. (That means no paper plates!) By making meals an event, they will nourish you and fill you up more – both literally and figuratively.
7. Spend time in nature - Spending time in nature connects you with the earth and can provide a natural high. Nature is great at bringing you back to the present moment and can be a source of stress reduction.
8. Hug - Humans require physical contact, and long hugs are a great way to get it. They relax you and lead you to produce oxytocin, a feel good hormone. Give it a good three seconds for best results!
I hope you LOVE the blog tips!