Self-Care All Day

Have you ever had a day where the most you wanted to do was stare into space? Maybe a few other things but mostly just that. Just retreat and relax. I’m here to tell you to take it. Go ahead and take that time. Go ahead and honor yourself and your innate intuition. It’s there for a reason ;-).

I’m in a space like that right now. All I’ve wanted to do for the majority of the day is nada. I’ve wanted to ebb and flow with whatever suited my fancy. Nap if need be. Read if so inspired. Write if I feel like it. Or just do nothing at all. Not even on purpose thinking.

I’ve been semi successful :). What it’s showing me though is how much I need to honor my own mind and tune into my own requirements.

And not feel bad about that. There is the key – not feel bad about it.

It’s so easy to feel bad about what you need and in turn not get/give yourself what you need. And where does that get you? Pooped, on edge, ready to scream at your cell phone for not cutting on when I PUSH THE POWER BUTTON! Oh, oh my bad :D. See that was me today when I went out to do my only to-do on my list for today. Even that small commitment outside of myself set me on edge and made me have to count to 10 to not bash my lovely phone into the steering wheel :).

Now I don’t tell you this for you to start worrying about my sanity or potential violent streaks, lol. No, I’m sharing this to show you how important today was for me and how even though I did ease off of my to-do list on purpose for the day, when I pushed myself instead of giving in to the entire day, I quickly realized I wasn’t all the way renewed – even though I felt like “ok Leah, you’ve had enough time.” The reality is that I didn’t. And that I needed more time. And that that was ok.

So if you find yourself having a day like I did today…make yourself the most important thing. And don’t feel bad about that. A coach/friend of mine gave me a mantra a few days ago “I serve. I deserve.” I KNOW you all serve. No doubt about it. Remind yourself that you deserve too ;-).

P.S. Here's a little on purpose self-care you can indulge in today. Passion flower tea is a 'wonderherb' for stress and anxiety. It's known to calm the nerves and even help you sleep better. The beautiful thing is that you can now easily find it at your grocery store in a number of calming tea blends by well known  brands. I will almost always encourage you to use Traditional Medicinals brand if you are not buying loose herbs and this case is no different. Traiditional Medicinals has a blend called Cup of Calm that features a good helping of Passion Flower. Treat yourself to a cup or two :-).  

Self Love, Self Sabotage, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg

Do you ever have that feeling that things are starting to flow. Kind of like you’ve stepped into the river and for once, you are swimming with the tide instead of against it. And it’s Flowing, like a warm caress carrying you along. You’re not even exerting a lot of energy per say, mostly just gloating along in the ebb and flow of the currents warm embrace. And as you go along, you take in more beauty, more fortunate sights, more one of a kind moments, all the while moving forward with intention (for the river is taking you somewhere).

Do you have a good picture? It feels peaceful doesn’t it. Even joy filled right? Well sheesh, that’s how life has been feeling lately. Like things are coming together. Ebbs and flows and all in my favor, some giving me the gumption to go go go, others giving me the cue to take a step back, get my mind right, evaluate, and open my eyes to the next fortunate occurrence.

But I realize that there is a fear cropping up – a fear that some other figurative shoe is going to drop. That something out of my control will happen and smack, dab, bomb – back to the setbacks I’d gotten used to. Back to the complacent thoughts about certains things just not ever changing.

Does that happen to you ever?  You know what it can cause?

Self sabotage.

Yep, that uncanny ability to shoot your own foot in the effort to shoot the villain that you can’t see.  Self sabotage makes you do silly things that the unafraid you would never do. Self sabotage makes you doubt every single action until you’re crippled into no action. Self sabotage takes your sense of control and scatters it all over the place into tiny little pieces that now only resemble franticness.

That’s why self-love and ACTIVE practices of self appreciation are so valuable to me. That’s why this space even exists.

Lip service has never really been strong enough to combat self-sabotage. Thinking good thoughts sometimes just doesn’t cut it. Self sabotage is active even in its ability to shut down activity. We’ve got to be just as active to counter it.  

So I’d like to challenge you to think of all the things I suggest here for you as acts of self love and appreciation. Carve out time for them so that over time, you’ll have a memory file of how much you mean to you. And how much You are in control of you. And how much your active energy devoted to you has made an impact and a difference. Because it will – trust me. Do this and look back even 3 months from now. You will be different and better for it ;-).

And how does this relate to the fear of the other shoe dropping above?

Because it will show you how much is within your control. And it will show you that YOU are the important piece. Not the elusive “what if”. It will show you that YOU being an active participant is what was really moving that river’s current along all that time ;).

Today’s Mini LOVE Fest :-)

Christmas-y sweet mask anyone? How about with nutmeg, cinnamon, and honey?

Alrighty so Nutmeg and Cinnamon invariably remind me of Christmas – those smells drum up images of warm fireplaces, cozy oversized sweaters, hot tea and cocoa and a healthy cup of spiced eggnog :).

Cinnamon and Nutmeg - YUM!

So it’s a perfect time to realize some other ways to experience these lovely spices! Nutmeg and Cinnamon make excellent components of an acne scar healing mask. This mask is super simple to make and can be stored in your refrigerator for about a week or so. I would use it once a week at least and give it a month’s time to work its magic. Remember, skin cells take about 28 days to turn over, so that month is important! Curb your impatience dears ;-).

Why this mask is as awesome as it is simple:

1.       Cinnamon is a natural anti-microbial agent. It’s been used for centuries to fight viruses and bacteria. It also contains powerful antioxidants that help keep healthy skin cells from breaking down prematurely.   

2.       Nutmeg is also a natural anti-microbial agent as well as an anti-inflammatory. It has been used to heal many skin diseases and helps to reduce acne scarring and clear up infections and redness. It contains a number of vitamins that your skin needs for optimal health also.  

3.       Honey is a natural moisturizer that also has powerful anti-bacterial properties. It helps to heal current breakouts faster and also reduces the occurrence of more breakouts.

As an extra benefit, you can also add lemon juice to this mask. It will give an extra dose of anti-microbial activity and also will serve as a natural astringent to brighten the complexion, balance pH, and tighten pores. It also contains tons of vitamin C, a necessary component to building collagen in the skin.

This is one of those mask that you don’t have to worry about using exact measurements. Below is a good rule of thumb.

Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Honey Mask

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp honey

1-2 tsp lemon juice

Mix all of these together in a small glass bowl (glass is best if you are planning to store it).  Apply for 10 to 15 minutes and then rinse with warm water. Your skin should be glowing almost immediately :-)!

I encourage you to spend those 10 to 15 minutes of mask time meditating, reading something soul-nurturing, or painting your nails (my go to "love me" quick activity :-)). Just something to reaffirm that You are in control of YOUR time and that YOU are important enough to spend it on YOU ;-). 

Enjoy!