Five Simple Ways To Practice Self-Care

Today’s post was inspired by mental health awareness month back in may, which is when this post would have been extremely relevant and timely, but as goes my life motto these days, its better late than never!

We live in this world full of people and circumstances that are out of our control, and we can’t exactly isolate ourselves from every thing or person that gets us down, right? So that is why its critical we need to make time for self-care. Self-care may be a trendy word at the moment, but it has always been a basic human need, and it always will be.

I often get messages asking me how I balance it all and how do I always seem so happy and relaxed. My answer to that is, I don’t balance it all, and I’m not always happy and relaxed – but I do my best!

So here are some of the things I do:

  1. Go for a walk. I love getting outside and breathing fresh air, it instantly improves my mood. I go in the mornings with my dog, before the kids wake up. It is like a meditation for me to be outside when it is so quiet all I hear are the birds chirping.
  2. Journaling – Writing down my feelings, especially the difficult ones, at the very least helps me figure out how to handle whatever it is I’m going through. It has given me major insight into my own self, what motivates me and what fears I have. One particularly rough day, I wrote down all of the thoughts I had about myself that moment, and some of them were such harsh criticisms that when I read it again I actually felt bad for me. Journaling helps me look at myself from the outside in, giving me a whole different perspective to consider. It could be about anything. Perhaps you could write about a movie (if you’re into horror films, check hellhorror.com) you saw or how a certain song made you feel. You’re good to go as long as you can communicate your feelings in words.
  3. Exercise – Sweating and pushing myself is the best way to get out of my own head and clear my mind. Most of this year I’ve been slacking in the workout area, getting back into it now feels amazing. I honestly forgot how good I feel after. I wake up early before the kids and do about 30-45 minute workout. Per week I aim for 2-3 days of resistance training using body weight and dumbells. If I am able to, I like to add two days of yoga, dance, or any other movement I enjoy. Plus I have now been told that if I use something like CBD oils UK I am able to recover my muscles much quicker than I would previously, so if I have any aches and pains I can resolve them immediately. Furthermore, I found I am able to stay motivated after I joined a few girlfriends together in an instagram group dedicated to wellness – we message each other every time we do something good for ourselves – like a workout, a walk, or meditation. Even when I wasn’t adding to their conversation, just reading their notes made me want to be a part of it!
  4. Grooming – Taking care of my outward appearance is important for my self-image. Getting my hair done, nails done, facials, all of it is important to me. As women we aren’t supposed to act like we care about our looks, or else we are considered shallow and self-centered by society. However, we are also just supposed to look like we magically woke up like Beyonce in a snapchat filter. Taking out some time to feel like a princess is something I do for me regularly, without any guilt or shame attached. I think everyone should do grooming to their heart’s content. Not just women, men also enjoy body grooming regularly, and many choose Denver manscaping strategies to get rid of excess hair.
  5. Date Night – Making time for dates and romance. It is so easy to let life, kids, work get in the way of your relationship – especially when you’ve been with the same person for a while. Making time for you and your significant other a real priority is such an important way to care for yourself – we all need to feel loved right?! Every time Tom and I make time to go out to dinner alone, or go to a concert or movie, we remember how much we actually enjoy each other’s company. Plus we have the best home date nights watching a movie on the couch since we found some great movies on Netflix that will keep us busy on our mini date nights for the next few months!

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Last week we took a quick trip to escape the snow for some sunshine in Key Largo, Florida☀️ We spent every moment possible outside, Tom and Adam got their Scuba Diver PADI certification (yay!) while Sophia and I spent our days either swimming or drawing marine life and landscapes. This was my first trip after my sister passed last November, and even though I look so happy here, there were so many moments I felt the grief and sadness, as if it happened just yesterday. I am still figuring out how I want to show up in this space, as I have changed so much as a person since the loss. I just don’t feel called to post some of the things I shared before. Maybe that will change someday, or maybe it will just naturally evolve into something new. I think I will take this year to just process it all. (Even the idea of taking an entire year to think through something is a huge shift for my usually hyperactive type A personality) My focus at the moment is just living in the moment with my family and friends, spending time doing things that make me happy and healthy. I hope to share some of that journey here with you ~ thanks for following along ❤️
I had planned to shoot this outfit in collaboration with @lenacoutureofficial right before my dear sister passed away. Saba, the designer, was more than understanding if I didn’t want to anymore - but after thinking on it for a while I decided I wanted to - in my sister’s honor 💗 She was always my biggest hype woman. When i would feel like I’m not good enough or that I should quit (which was often) she would tell me I was unique and great and to keep it up. When I think of my sister, beauty and love is all that she embodied in her being. She expressed that on the outside also - as she loved to wear everything glam, bright & colorful, and full of bling. Hair done, nails done, everything did - that was Nusrat. For this shoot I took the time to get glam after a long hiatus - and makeup and hair took so long because I think I forgot how to do it, but afterwards I was surprised how I felt transformed. When I wore this gorgeous outfit that I know was designed with such love and incredible attention to detail by @lenacoutureofficial, I felt all of that beauty - like a walking piece of art, and very much at peace. Thank you so much to @divmophoto for capturing the feeling so well 💕
Ski weekend with my favorites ❄️❄️ So proud of Sophia for skiing on her own for the first time!
There are some trees with seeds that only grow after a fire. Their seeds are completely sealed with a resin that have to be physically melted off by a great fire in order to propagate. So to do we as humans, gain wisdom only after great pain and suffering.*
A month ago (and one day) I lost my sister and best friend to cancer. I am still completely gutted and broken. But, I’m also so so grateful to have had felt the love that now brings me so much heartbreak. ❤️ I am so inspired by her - and I will forever live my life to honor her memory. Miss you sis ❤️
Classic outfit combo: oversized blazer + denim 🖤fendi mules @shoeslutz
Just a mom who loves mums 🌸 🪴
Cozy for a coffee date ☕️
French. Toast. Egg. Bake. Save this recipe for a weekend or holiday brunch - it’s SO good and fool-proof! I’m not even a sweet person and I love it. The pecans are a non-negotiable IMO - I get honey bourbon vanilla pecans for this and it is just heavenly. Enjoy!