February is all about Self-Care

Self-care is defined as paying proper attention to your mental and emotional well-being. The daily stress of work, family and a worldwide pandemic (that's lasted almost a year) has thrown life's priorities out of whack - including how we care for ourselves.  Burn out, frayed nerves, and excessive anger is a classic sign of neglected self-care.

Self-care:

• helps you clearly recognize the situations/people that trigger stressful emotional reactions
• helps reduce the impact of stress on the physical body
• provides the tools needed to navigate the stressors of daily life

Give yourself a gift this month - a self-care plan.  Self-care doesn't have to "break the bank"; there are low to no cost ways to implement self-care into your daily routine.

Some options are:

• exercise - take a brief walk around your neighborhood at least twice a week; if you can't find an exercise or yoga YouTube video to watch
• eat healthier -  foods like leafy greens, fruits and nuts keep your body in shape
• treat yourself to an at-home spa - make a DIY salt or milk bath (if you aren't the "DIY" type) check out our signature bath tea collection.
• listen to music, an audio book or a podcast - set aside at least 30 mins a day to read, listen to your favorite music or podcast (set an appointment/reminder on your phone)
• journal - a dollar store notebook (if you're old skool) or Good Notes, Ever note or One Note apps (for the "techies") to record your feelings - even the intense ones. Write a "rage page" - get as raw as you want, then burn it in a fire-safe container and throw the ashes in your outside trashcan.

Putting yourself first ensures those you love and care for gets the best version of you.