REWARD YOURSELF WITH WELLNESS RITUALS
EVER WONDER WHY RESOLUTIONS are traditionally made on New Year’s Eve? The start of a new year inspires many of us to make bold statements about how to improve our lives: not just for the moment, but for the whole year. Some of us have the best intentions and do this ritual each year, but studies show that fewer than 10% of us actually keep our resolutions. Are we making self-promises that are simply unattainable–or does lasting change simply take a little more effort than we’re willing to follow through with?
There’s a better solution: Slowly and gently build healthier habits throughout the year that will not only make you feel better, but make you wonder why you haven’t incorporated them sooner. Wellness rituals may be the best resolution you’ve ever kept. Here are some ideas.
INDULGE YOURSELF WITH A WORKING MEDIATION A morning mediation will help you start your day less stressed and frazzled. Start slow, with just five minutes. (We can all find five minutes, right?) Find your spot (a comfy chair, a folded blanked you can sit on near a sunlit corner of your home), sit up straight, close your eyes, and focus on nothing but your breathing. Take deep belly breaths and exhale slowly. If your mind wanders a bit, try to incorporate a positive mantra to bring your focus back, like “I will achieve great things through small steps.” It might take a few tries to master this practice, so stick with five minutes until the habit sticks; in time you’ll be able to increase this practice to 15 minutes or even 30 minutes, and after a couple of weeks you’ll notice a more calm and serene you.
DO A PRE-SHOWER SKIN MASSAGE Dry brushing your skin using a dry, stiff bristle brush is like a mini massage. Incorporating this 3-5 minute ritual before you shower is an excellent way to unclog pores and detoxify your skin, increasing blood circulation while promoting lymph drainage and flow. (The lymphatic system clears away infections and keeps body fluids in balance; stagnant lymph nodes can reportedly result in reduced immune system function). Start at your feet, gently brushing up toward your heart, making more circular motions on your abdomen and back area. In time, you can increase the pressure of the brush on your skin.
INCREASE YOUR WATER INTAKE Few of us drink the quantity of water our bodies truly require. Incorporating more water may seem like a daunting task, but there are a few little tricks you can do to make this important change happen.
1. While your morning coffee or tea is brewing, make your first beverage a tall glass of room-temperature or warm water. This flushes out the stomach and helps bring balance to the lymphatic system.
2. After every bathroom break, drink a full glass of water.
3. Have a tall water beside you when preparing a meal, and sip it frequently.
4. Every time you think you want a snack, drink a full glass of water first–you may just be thirsty. If you’re still peckish, go for water-rich foods like fruit and vegetables.
5. If you’re not keen on the taste of water, adding fresh fruit and herbs brings flavor, as well as minerals and vitamins.
START AN EXERCISE ROUTINE The challenge of sticking with an exercise routine can be a lot easier if you do it with a friend: You both have to be accountable for showing up. Even if your friend lives 100 miles away, you can still arrange a time that suits you both and walk, run, or bike with earbuds in to keep you connected. Exercise plus social time– everybody wins! If your friend can’t make it, don’t use the excuse to cancel on yourself. Instead, listening to a podcast while walking outside gets you fresh air, lets you absorb some vitamin D from the sun, and allows you to learn or enjoy something. If you’re working out in front of a TV in the house, a great way to force yourself to stick with the routine is to pick a series you really love, and only allow yourself to watch while you’re exercising.
SLEEP LIKE YOU MEAN IT Restful sleep is incredibly important. After 20 hours of being awake, for example, drowsy drivers are as impaired as someone with a 0.08% blood alcohol content (the current legal limit in most states), according to the Sleep Foundation. We all function better with a full 7-9 hours of restful sleep, so if you can’t control when you get to hit the hay, at least develop habits to help you sleep better. Start by shutting down your phone and computer two hours before bedtime: Blue light blocks melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy.
Think of these two hours as a gift of screen-free time: the perfect opportunity to incorporate a routine you never thought you had the time for, like reading, or performing gentle yoga, or having an Epsom salt soak. (Fill the bath with very warm to just about hot water with two cups of Epsom salt, one cup of baking soda, and a few drops of your favorite essential oil.) Epsom salts, also known as magnesium sulphate, stimulate detoxification pathways, and replenishing magnesium transdermally can relieve achy joints and boost brain neurotransmitters responsible for inducing sleep,
Alternately, that morning meditation we suggested earlier can be practiced in the evening and all the drama and emotion from the day can slowly melt away as you focus on your breathing. If thoughts come rushing in, perhaps light a candle and just focus on the flickering of the candle with your eyes as you practice deep breathing while repeating he mantra “I am calm.” Try incorporating each of these self care rituals slowly, perhaps one new habit per month, until they become part of your daily routine. And above all, don’t wait until January–start your new commitment to self care today.
The Challenge to sticking with an exercise routine can be easier if you do it with a friend.