Today is wellness Wednesday, which we like to refer to as your midweek reminder to practice self care! This wellness Wednesday also happens to fall on a not so well known, but should be well known, holiday– National I want you to be happy day! So of course, this gives us just another reason to discuss this fav wellness topic of ours– SELF CARE! Honestly at this point we should be referred to as your self care queens because we are all about practicing self care as much as possible, so much so that a motto of ours is– when in doubt, self care it out! So for those of you who are not so accustomed to this motto or you don’t have self care queen type of besties to remind you of this motto– then let us take the lead on it and remind you that self care is not something to make time for, it is a need that should already be part of your schedule, much like drinking water, eating meals, getting sleep. Yes, for those not so accustomed to this topic and have crazy busy schedules, you probably think that it’s easier said than done which is why we put together some personal fav self care activities that can be done virtually anywhere with only as little as five minutes to spare. We are presenting you with a list to refer back to or ideas and suggestions that we have appreciated and benefitted from. So take what you will, hopefully you can find one of these relatable and helpful.
1.) Call that loved one! We say that loved one because we aren’t indicating that it needs to be your mom, dad, child, sibling, bestie, it’s just that one individual who you know that when you talk to them you feel reenergized, appreciated, and one you can give appreciation to. It’s the person that no matter what mood, you feel at ease talking to and vice versa, because of course any friendship is a two way street. It’s just that loved one who is easy to talk to on any given day no matter life’s circumstances.
2.) Plug in those headphones! Whether it be sitting at your desk or for a quick coffee run, plug in that playlist you love and some of your favorite songs or better yet, put on a meditative podcast or song, these soothing voices and sounds can do wonders for your mood and keep you practicing mindfulness in that moment and get you back to feeling you and grounded. I don’t know the science behind this but I’ve been told that the sound of your favorite music can be invigorating and reenergizing with euphoric feelings.
3.) Take a walk! If you are a fitness person then we suggest doing a leisurely one outside of your routine, this is helpful at all times no matter what and even a five minute walk can do wonders. If it’s freezing cold out and you can’t bear the thought of leaving the warmth, walk up and down stairs for a few minutes or do a few walking lunges, anything that gets your body moving is always a good thing and don’t forget stretching it out too. Although we will say moving in fresh air and braving the cold for five minutes will probably be worth it in the end, but still we know those too cold to bear it types of days leave us stuck to our own devices and taking a alternative approach to moving. It doesn’t even require that post workout endorphin rush to do wonders for you– our bodies are meant to move so anything goes a long way.
4.)Hug your pets or virtually do so! Okay so this one is more or less applicable depending on whether you are an animal lover like us but we will venture to guess that not matter who you are– there is probably some type of animal that makes you go heart eyes over. So our biggest suggestion would be to google some of those adorable animals doing things insta accounts. Personally, taking a moment to watch these videos or snuggle with a pet gives me so much appreciation and gratitude for all that is out there in the world, dogs loyalty and companionship is one of the most amazing gifts I have been given and just being mindful of that during a busy day can do tremendous wonders.
5.) Comedy! Okay this may be listed as the fifth but let me tell you that this one is up there as top options for self care. Especially rough days or moody days, there is something to be said for listening to stand up comedians because usually they are able to use their genius to distract you from your own problems and or make you realize that we all have problems we are dealing with and sometimes we need to not take ourselves so insanely serious to deal with stressors and can be paramount to living our happiest lives. Sometimes laughter is the best medicine as cliche as it may sound. Similar to having that loved one you can talk to in any mood, I have comedians that I can watch any mood, no matter how stubborn my moody days have been, they will make me bellyache laugh it out. The best part too is this doesn’t require you to sit down and watch a full hour episode to put you at ease a quick stand up performance excerpt can do the trick giving you the best medicine in the palm of your hand and with five minutes to spare.
There you have it, we hope you have had a wonderful wellness Wednesday! Be sure to check out other self care related content on the blog and subscribe to stay up to date!
