Wednesday, July 5, 2017

How Does She Do It? {Self Care}

I am so incredibly grateful that my career as a School Counselor allows me eight weeks every summer to be a full-time mom and recharge my batteries.  I truly believe we can care for others better the better we care for ourselves.  However, this is an area I struggle with.  I know other women can relate, but I have to be intentional about putting myself first and summer is the perfect time for me to practice my self-care.

(Image from www.facebook.com)

Early Mornings



One of the biggest changes I've made in the last year is getting up early in the morning.  Typically, that means I'm up by 5:30 or 6:00 during the summer.  This usually gives me about an hour before anyone else is awake to drink my coffee and have some "me" time.  Having time to center myself before the day begins sets the tone for the rest of the day.  If I could get myself to go to bed earlier, this would probably be even more enjoyable. :) . I blogged all about what my early mornings look like HERE.

Beauty

(Image from www.facebook.com)

Summer is the perfect time for me to catch up on beauty maintenance.  On my list this summer is massage, mainicure, eyebrow shaping and a dermaplaning facial.  When I got my massage this summer, I made an appointment for another massage after the first week of school.  Little proactive moves like making appointments in advance help me stay on track with things that I know are beneficial to my well being.

Exercise

When I was younger, exercise was a part of my daily life.  Even though I know that exercise makes me feel like a better version of myself physically and mentally, I have struggled with being consistent.  This summer, I joined a gym with my family in order to try to find an activity we all enjoy and get some exercise in the process.  I am attempting to make exercise a non-negotiable part of my life.  After two call backs from doctor appointments this year, I am committed to do everything I can to be healthy.  Everything turned out fine, but it was just the wake up call I needed to get back on track with regards to my health.

Eating Well


I tend to be a healthy eater, but summer is a great time to eat even cleaner.  We plant a small garden every year and I love attending farmer's markets for what we do not grow ourselves.  I had a series of allergy tests last month and received my results last week.  I highly recommend everyone do this.  While I knew that some foods bother me, my results were very surprising and I will need to make several changes to my diet.  Even if you are not symptomatic, eating foods that you are allergic to or intolerant to can cause inflammation and annoying symptoms that we often attribute to something else.  I blogged about my two favorite summer salads HERE.

Wellness

I love anything that encourages being proactive with my health.  I recently ordered a starter kit from doTerra Essential Oils and I am loving learning about all of the health benefits oils have!  The consultant I work with is so knowledgable and helpful.  You can find her on Instagram @bella_luna_3. If you are interested in learning about oils with me, send me a message and I can connect you with her.  Or reach out to her on Instagram and tell her I sent you!


Projects/Creativity

I love being creative and having time to let my mind wander.  This blog is just that for me; a creative outlet where I get to connect with so many interesting people and share the things I love.  Having a creative outlet other than work makes me better in all areas of my life.


Reading/Hobbies

I love to read and get lost in a good book.  People often ask how I read so much.  I literally carry a book with me everywhere I go.  That way, when I find myself waiting for one of my kids to get out of practice or sitting in a doctors office, I have my book with me to get a little reading in.  I think it is important to have hobbies that you can get lost in and reading is one that does that for me. You can see all of the books I read in 2016 here:

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October 
November/December

and 2017 so far here:

January
February
March
April
May
June



Those are the top ways I am caring for myself this summer.  What self-care routines do you follow?


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