Self-love and self-care are terms we hear a lot nowadays. But how can we honor and restore ourselves without getting sucked back into the cycle of marketing ploys and big business that don’t have our best interests at heart? You don’t need a $ 300.00 day spa package or brand new yoga outfit to receive the benefits that self-love and self-care can bring. In my journey to uncover balance and love for myself, I’ve found tiny acts throughout each and every day. These small acts allow me to receive the benefits of self-care and don’t push my bank account in the red. At the end of the day (and this life) the more we can detach from a need for external satisfaction, the more we fall in love with our inner being and the more we realize our inner being is all we need to find happiness.

1. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb- It’s free! We live in a society built on instant gratification.  There is a shared belief that fast and furious is the route to success. Chained down by our devices and a slave to responding there are many fears tied up in what will happen if we don’t respond to text messages and phone calls instantly. I’ll tell you what will happen. You’ll train people that this is how you operate and continue to attract the behavior into your experience. In life there are very few real emergencies and if it is a true emergency chances are there are first responders being called before you’re reached. The need to constantly check emails & text messages becomes an addiction that is constantly fed by our reactions and causes us to miss out on so many unique experiences and moments passing us by.  We lose focus on the task or people at hand and the quality of our work and experience fades. So the next time you’re with special people, at a fun event or even working on something important to you. Turn on DND. Immerse yourself in the task at hand. When it’s time to return you’ll have a fresh mind ready for take off. Multi-tasking (effectively) is an urban myth, I promise.
2. Explore a new Studio- Little to No Cost! Our devices aren’t all bad right? It’s all about that balance baby. From Yoga studios to art studios, the internet gives us access to countless channels for exploration of ourselves. There are hundreds of studios that offer free weeks or discounted trials, free events or low-cost events. Explore facebook groups and Instagram feeds that are in line with activities that you enjoy and gather friends for discounted group rates with no strings attached. You never know the next venue looking to increase membership with flash sales or events. I have discovered activities I never thought were accessible until community events and festival vendors opened the door. Watch the magic of your manifestation powers when you imagine what it is you want to try; Acro Yoga, Dance Class, Screen Printing, Music lessons…Learning new tasks is a beautiful act of self-love. As we break out of our normal patterns and ignite a new sense of excitement from within we fall in love with ourselves and our lives all over again.
3. Take yourself to nature- It’s Free! Don’t check out just yet nature haters. It doesn’t take an extended camping trip and sleeping with the ants to receive the massive benefits nature can offer. Studies show that a 40 min walk among the forest (or as many trees as you can find) demonstrates massive and immediate health benefits including reduction in the stress hormone cortisol (1). Use the time to practice mindfulness. Phone on DND and awareness to the sights, sounds, smells and fresh breath entering and exiting your body. Your body is pounded by ions, pollution and other harmful effects of our tech progressive society each second of our day. Give your body a break and take a “bath” in nature, no water required.
4. Cook a meal at home- You Decide the Cost! My therapist taught me this one. Cooking food is an excellent act of self-care and self-love especially when it’s filled with nutrient dense ingredients. Rather than looking at it as a mundane task find the practice of mindfulness within it. Keep in mind everything holds energy and you transfer your energy to those things which you draw your attention to. Treat the food prep kindly. Think about how you want to feel after the food enters your body and is transformed into energy that will fuel your life and your passions. Take your time. Limit distractions. Find gratitude for the ability to eat and prepare food when you want and how you want.  Turn on some jams and watch the magic of making a meal unfold.
5. Take yourself out to eat- You Decide the Cost! Sometimes the act of self-care and self-love is giving yourself a break and letting others serve you. Realize when your warrior status of “doing” is at capacity and surrender to the ease and lightness that going outside of your home can create. Soak up the environment whether it’s a white tablecloth restaurant or paper napkin place, feel your body rest into your chair, let your feet have a break and breathe as you eat. Pause between bites, enjoy the company of yourself or your companion and allow your body to reset.  Keep your eye out for restaurant deals around your neighborhood during the week so you have a game plan of an inexpensive meal when you’re feeling stressed or strapped for time and cash. Receive fully without the guilt of the experience.
6. Opt out of your workout or parts of your practice- It’s Free! The all or nothing attitude of physical activity has had its day, at least from where I am standing. Finding balance in our lives is about showing up. Showing up to our yoga practice or other forms of physical activity is the hardest part. So when you show up to give yourself the space to listen to what your body needs. This will be the most sustainable type of practice. Need a break from the last set of push-ups? Walk a lap and drink some water. Are your shoulders feeling tight? Opt out of your chaturangas and find the true challenge in pulling back. Sometimes we just need to move and get the blood flowing back into our joints and brains to find benefits. The hardest part? Letting go of what you “think you should do.” Acknowledging the benefits of what your body is signaling you to do and do it. Our bodies are so smart.  If we take the time to listen to them first we find a sustainable practice and a healthy body and mind. Always check in with your motivation for physical activity and allow it to come from a place of self-love and self-care, not self-deprecation.
7. Meditate- It’s Free! Meditation is not complicated. I think people have a hard time starting or committing to this practice because they might not see instant results of its effectiveness and/or try to make it a production. Mediation is simply allowing your brain the space to recover from the insane amount of information it’s pounded with from sunup to sundown. Many people report moments of clarity or sudden realizations during or after meditation. It’s intuitive that we give our muscles a break from working out. Even the most elite athletes schedule in specific periods of rest and recovery. Meditation is the same for your brain. If your mind is not allowed periods of rest without stimuli it becomes overwhelmed and overstimulated. *See thoughts that wash over you like a tidal wave the moment you lay down at night. If getting into bed is the first time your brain has a chance to relax you will see the effects of this over stimulus from your day. Give yourself as little as 2-4 minutes to focus on the sound and pace of your breath, with your eyes closed or fixed on an object to direct your focus. Do it as a break in your day or perhaps when you get home to transition from your day to a more relaxed state. Start here and lead with compassion for yourself. Think progress over perfection. Even small breaks of meditation will have lasting effects for your mind.
8. Make an appointment with yourself- It’s Free! Want to say no to something but don’t actually have anything else on your calendar? Just because your calendar is open does not mean you have to fill it up with something! Schedule in space to breath, to sit, to be with yourself of your dog. It’s a free act of self-love and self-care that give you an enormous return.
9. Release Guilt-It’s Free! The first part of self-care and self-love is saying yes to yourself. The second part is carrying out the act and then releasing the guilt that might start to creep its way in. When you’ve made a decision to take a mental health day from work, or say no to a friend, fully embrace the decision. You won’t be able to embrace the benefits of the act when your mind is still working in the past. A beautiful act of self-love and self-care is the ability to fully step into your current situation and embrace where you are and who you are. The decision has already been made. Don’t waste your energy creating new narratives or storylines. Enjoy the moment before it’s gone.
10. Release Judgement for One Day-It’s Free! Every time you see a reflection of yourself, in a mirror, in a photo, in a window…send yourself a compliment and some encouragement. Try and make it the entire day without casting judgment on the way you look or the way you feel. If you slip up, start fresh and with compassion replace the negative expression with one of encouragement. Challenge yourself to go an entire day.  Whether you like it or not, our cells and our bodies listen to us and respond accordingly. So change your own narrative inside and watch the outside flourish.
11. Detox-You Decide the Cost! Often times we use drugs and alcohol as an excuse for a bad day. I did this for more years than I can count. What I have found is that nourishing the body is a much more effective way to deal with stress. Yes, alcohol can provide a temporary release from the stress of the day, but it also increases your heart rate and blood pressure having the same effect of stress and anxiety. So while you find a temporary release of what you’re trying to avoid, you’re compounding the physical effects of stress. When the high has worn off you’re often times left feeling physically and mentally worse than when you began. You can retrain your body to crave nutrition and self-care in place of drugs and alcohol. Take some time to mindfully detox, reach out for help if you need an assist on where to start from someone you trust. One of the other fringe benefits of a detox is how much money you’ll save when you’re not springing for “one more drink” or a bottle of wine on the way home. Detoxing doesn’t have to be a fancy program, a meal binder, isolation from social events or done for an extended amount of time. Simple elimination of the harmful, replaced by simple nutrition of the helpful will have you seeing benefits in no time.
12. Speak your Truth-Always Free! Holding in our opinions and ideas can hamper more than just our creativity. When we hold back on speaking our truth to ourselves and to others we create energy blockages in our life. Blocks in our throat chakra (the energy center of our communication) can manifest into physical problems as well; a sore throat, chronic neck pain, constant fear or anxiety of being judged. Speaking our truth is a simple act of self-love and doesn’t cost a thing. When we honor and respect our ideas and creativity we inspire others to do the same and can live a more fulfilled, happy & inspired life. Speaking our truth can take on many forms: What do you say to yourself first thing in the morning? Do you always say yes, even when no feels better to your body and mind? Are you honest with how the food you eat nourishes your body? You have up to 50,000 thoughts per day or 50,000 opportunities to practice speaking your truth each day.  Think before you speak, use compassion to change your narrative.

Namaste!

1. http://www.natureandforesttherapy.org/the-science.html