This week I focused on self-care and why you need to practice self-LOVE.
Five benefits to regular self-care include:
1. Being more productive.
When you slow down and say no to commitments that don't serve you, it gives you more time to practice self-care. Self-care can be your favorite yoga class or grabbing a coffee with a friend or taking a few deep breaths. This time helps bring us back to the present moment.
2. Boosts your immune system.
Activating the Parasympathetic Nervous System puts your body into 'rest + restore' mode giving you a chance to decompress. Putting our bodies into a restorative state is why we need to practice self-LOVE every day!
3. Improve your self-compassion.
It's pretty simple, the more you take care of yourself, the better you feel. Rather than ignoring our pain or flagellating ourselves with self-criticism, we start to have compassion for ourselves.
Negative self-talk is one way to really hinder your physical and mental health. Take notice of your inner dialog and start to change how you talk to yourself. Instead of beating yourself up and putting yourself down, use positive words and affirmations.
4. Find out who you really are.
Have you ever wondered what do "I LOVE to do?" What lights me up? What can I do that makes me feel good? We are often looked down on or called selfish when we take time for ourselves. This is far from the truth. We all need to have free time to do the things we LOVE, or else we lose ourselves.
We lose touch with who we are and start seeking fulfillment from outside sources that are often not healthy. When you begin to do things you enjoy, you can reconnect with yourself and feel more joy and alignment.
5. Have more to give. Not less.
I didn't realize it at the time, but I was one of those carrying around the belief that self-care was selfish for many years. One of the biggest (and hardest) lessons I've learned is when I don't take care of myself, I feel sick and run down all the time. I am not as productive, and I have no motivation. When I cared for myself, I realized I had more energy and could be there for my friends and family more often. It was hard for me to get into the self-care routine but so, so worth it.
One of my self-love routines each morning is dry brushing.
Dry brushing benefits include:
Exfoliation
Dry brushing works to exfoliate your skin and locks in moisture that keeps it soft and healthy, especially in the winter months.
Lymphatic drainage
Dry brushing helps stimulate lymphatic drainage, which is essential for your immune health.
And might even help prevent and reduce wrinkles.
If you have never tried dry brushing before, here are a few steps to get you started.
1. Get the right dry brush
You want a stiff bristle but not too abrasive. You can google dry brushing and see many options. If you're vegan, you should consider synthetic bristles.
2. Make it part of your morning routine
You'll need to be completely nude. It's best to do it before a shower because this lifts dead skin cells that you'll likely want to wash off right after. I recommend doing this standing in the shower as part of your morning routine because it's pretty energizing!
3. Start at the feet and move upward
The point of dry brushing is to encourage lymph toward your upper torso and chest. Start with the top of the feet, then the lower leg, knee, and thigh. Be sure to get the back of the thigh, butt, and the small of your back. Move to your stomach using circular motions.
The upper body
Start with the hands moving toward the heart. Brush the back of your hands, forearm, and upper arm. Be sure to include the underarms because this has a lot of lymph nodes.
End with the neck
You'll want to be extra gentle with this delicate skin. It's important to note that you are moving downward with your strokes because you are above the heart. Start at the jawline toward your chest. Finish by going over your heart in a circular motion.
7. Afterward, you can take a shower as usual.
It is recommended that you don't use scrubs and abrasive loofahs because they can irritate your skin.
If you want to learn more about making self-LOVE part of your routine, let's connect for a discovery call!
