Looking after yourself should be a top priority for everyone, however often it is overlooked until a physical ailment or a wave of emotion comes along that forces us to take notice.
Our body is a messenger and when our body speaks to us in the form of emotions and physical symptoms, it is a clear sign that we have been ignoring our need for self-care.
If you are running on empty, if you are suffering from physical symptoms, if you are feeling drained or overly sensitive, this is your body calling on you for self-care and self-love.
If you’re not sure where to start or your feeling overwhelemed with the idea, here are 7 very simple ways to practice self-care for your SOUL!
1. Meditate. Meditation has endless benefits, but we get it, sometimes life just gets in the way and making space for you time with a pillow seems almost impossible! But trust us – it’s so important to make space for you and your present self. Be open with yourself and make time. Meditation is available to you any time, any place. When you are walking, standing in line at the grocery store, first thing in the morning, or as you are about to fall asleep. Give it a try, and if you find yourself needing a little extra guidance, you can join us on our weekly Monday meditation course virtually with the amazing Michele Kambolis. You can learn more about her and the 12-week course here.
2. Disconnect in order to reconnect. In today’s day and age, technology has taken on new forms. It’s constant and everywhere and most of us don’t even know how to function and perform our day-to-day activities without reaching for our phones, laptops, or TV screens. Not to mention the social media rabbit hole if comparison that comes with it. So take time to turn it all off. Create moments in the day, or days in the week, or even weeks at a time where you set a rule for yourself to turn off social media, and all forms of technology. It’s okay to unplug for a minute, in fact, it’s so important for your well-being + soul. This is going to allow you to free up time for you to work on creating a life you love rather than pining over someone else’s.
3. On that same note, we recommend a complete social media detox. What does this mean exactly? ‘Unfollow’ anyone who doesn’t give you feelings of inspiration, joy, laughter or love. Life is too short to surround yourself with anything or anyone who isn’t upping your vibe; look out for yourself and be picky with your social media tribe.
4. Do something that sets your soul on fire! Whatever that looks like to you – let your inner child free. This will be different for each of us, but could look like an afternoon of painting, baking, writing, dancing, listening to music, playing music or colouring – it just needs to light you up and allow you to be free!
5. Diffuse some essential oils or light your favourite scented candle.
6. Get social! Friendships are so important in protecting and maintaining mental health. Not only are good friends fun to be with, but they’ll also help you see things in perspective and keep you grounded. So make time for those who mean the most to you. Set a coffee date with your soul sister, go the movies, plan a date day/night, or even set a time to go out on the town! Socializing with those who light you up can be so valuable and beneficial to your soul!
7. Create a cozy space! Creating an environment that feels calm, zen and like YOU can have such a positive outcome on your overall well-being. Does you room currently look the way you want it to? Do you have a space that is fully representative of you? If not, try sprucing it up by adding your favourite throw pillows, a nice cozy blanket or a couple candles to add your signature flare to the area. By building a space that feels warm and inviting, you establish an inviting retreat for when those not-so-fun moments arise.
Making time for self-care doesn’t always come naturally for us all, but in order to show up as our best selves, it’s extremely important. We hope that some of these ideas have inspired you to start putting yourself at the top of your priority list. By practicing self-care, you will notice that you will start to know yourself better as a result, and in return you’ll be kinder to yourself and those around you.
Make sure to share all your self-care practices with us by using the hashtag #RawBeautyTalks
– Team Raw Beauty. xoxo
