Welcome back to the blog and Happy Valentine's Day!! It has been so gloomy and snowy these past few days, which can make winter so tough. But, I've been really leaning into self-care practices that make me feel my best and boost my mood. I think that during winter, finding practices that help bring us joy if we're feeling down can absolutely feel the best. I've been really leaning into daily movement, calm mornings, watching my comfort shows, and indulging in my skincare and beauty routine! Earlier this week, I was thinking about how some of the most beneficial self-care for me comes from just being intuitive, rather than having strict routines for every part of my life. And obviously, every single person is different, and everyone has different ways of properly taking care of themselves. But, I truly feel that there is so much impact for our minds and bodies in just listening to what we need in the moment.
Say that you're a workout girly and you have a strict routine for doing pilates every single evening after school or work. But, say one day, you're just exhausted and so tired. School or work has drained your energy and you feel that you need to workout because you've created this daily routine for yourself. But, maybe what your mind and body are asking for in that exact moment is for you to truly just rest. Maybe you just need to rest. Or maybe you just need to chill and put on a comfort show while ordering your favorite takeout. And that really is self-care and honestly can be so much healthier for your mind and body then getting in that exercise in that moment. Like today, I was feeling so lethargic and stiff and my body was telling me that I needed to move. It was 4pm and I felt internally like I needed movement and just stretch. So what did I do? I changed into some workout clothes and did a 30 minute pilates flow and I felt so much better. I felt less tight and stiff, and just more at ease. And I wouldn't have felt better if I didn't intuitively listen to myself. In that moment, if I just sat on the couch, that probably wouldn't have made me feel better physically.
Sometimes, we just need to take a step back and listen to what our minds and bodies really need at specifics times of the day. The act of being present with ourselves and listening to our needs can help us best proactively take care of ourselves. And this really falls into slowing down. Trust me, I know how hard it is. Our lives are so hectic and busy, but sometimes we have to just pause, and listen to our intuition. If your mind is telling you that you need to go on a mental health walk, go on a mental health walk. If your body is telling you that it's craving movement, carve out some time to move in a way that feels good. If you're mind and body are signaling that you need rest and need to stop doing work for the night, stop doing work for the night. If you've been feeling down, maybe what your mind and body needs is a good pamper day (I love getting myself flowers, it's truly the best)! When we just pause and listen to our intuition instead of doing the self-care that we think is good for us or that we see other people doing on social media, we can honestly take the best possible care of ourselves holistically. And you'll feel it too!
So, tonight, my body is telling me that I just need a self-care night, filled with an everything shower, a face mask, a LONG skincare-routine, and watching Gossip Girl :) So, I'm going to do just that!
I hope you have a beautiful rest of the week!!
Xo, Esha
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