So many people are looking for true health – and it starts with excellent self-care. It’s too easy to turn to a quick fix that doesn’t work or put off taking care of something that is bothering us.
And if you’re someone who has viewed self-care as something selfish or something you don’t have time for, now is the time to look at it differently. When you do, you can improve your health, energy, confidence – and the appearance of your skin.
What Is the Purpose of Self-Care?
It’s important to think about self-care as not a luxury but a necessity. Here are some of the benefits that taking time for self-care can provide:
- Reduces stress and improves mood
- Improves and maintains physical, mental, and spiritual health
- Helps sustain healthy relationships with friends and family
- Achieves a positive balance between work and personal life
- Helps promote a balanced body and radiant skin
- Improves time management skills
- Gives a feeling of more control
All of these perks are beneficial for your skin and help minimize the root causes behind skin issues.
Are you ready to say, “sign me up!” yet?
The truth is making self-care a priority is essential for maintaining good overall health and longevity. And when you practice it, you will feel better about yourself and can show up more for the people you love. If you don’t know where to start, I’m sharing some of my favorite ways to practice self-care – and anyone can do them.
Take a Technology Break
Turn off the phone, turn off the computer and TV, turn off all technology, and get away from screens. Too much screen time has been linked to many health issues, including sleep interruptions, eye problems, chronic discomfort, depression, anxiety, and low mood. Too much blue light can also interrupt the secretion of melatonin, the hormone that helps your body know when to rest at night.
Get Fresh Air
Getting fresh air is one of the simplest ways to practice self-care. Breathing in fresh air is an instant mood lifter. It increases your mental focus and helps you feel grounded. Plus, spending time outside ensures you can get that much-needed Vitamin D, especially in the winter months.
Furthermore, many scientific studies have shown that spending time outside reduces stress and improves outlook.
Exercise
Doesn’t it feel good to release energy? Whether you like to sweat hard in a HIIT session or practice yoga, exercise does a body and mind so much good. It can help you sleep better, improve your mood, and help improve brain function.
Plus, exercise is good for your skin. Blood flow increases to dissipate heat by sweating as your core temperature rises. Then, sweat helps cool off the skin and flushes out impurities. Sweat also contains sweat gland-derived antimicrobial peptides, which can actually help keep your skin microbiome in a healthy balance!
If you don’t like to exercise, the key is to find something you do like so it doesn’t feel like a chore. Not everyone wants to do bicep curls or run marathons, and that’s okay. Find something you like, and take this special time for yourself to enjoy. Your body, mood, and your skin will thank you!
Practice Breathwork
One of the simplest ways to practice self-care is to practice breathwork. It can help you improve all facets of your well-being, whether it’s mental, physical, or spiritual. Changing your breathing pattern creates relaxation that can be experienced in many systems throughout your body, including your digestion and immune system.
The best part is anyone can practice breathwork. If you need a guide, try searching online using the keywords “guided breathwork video” or “guided breathwork meditation” to find a guide you like.
If you are new to meditation and breathwork, you’ll start by becoming aware of your breathing. Here is a simple exercise you can do:
- Sit in a relaxing position, eyes closed.
- Take deep breaths slowly, counting to 10 while inhaling and exhaling.
- While exhaling, relax your shoulders.
- Repeat until you feel relaxed.
You can do this for five minutes to start and increase your sessions gradually. And you can easily fit this into any time of the day. It’s especially useful if you have trouble falling asleep.
Call a Friend
Today, most of us rely on electronic methods of communication. Why make a phone call when you can shoot a text? Well, talking to an old friend or family member and sharing a belly laugh is good for the soul. Connecting with other people has been challenging in the last couple of years, and talking to someone can increase feelings of happiness. You might not even realize how much you needed that conversation until it’s over.
Eat Nutritious Food
Self-care is about nourishing your body inside and out. From within, that starts with the food you eat! Unfortunately, in the U.S. it’s a habit to reach for heavily processed foods. These foods usually contain ingredients linked to oxidative damage, such as high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. This increases the risk of many health issues.
In my book, Clean Skin From Within, I talk about the top trigger foods that worsen the root causes of skin issues and foods that help address the root causes. Here is a simple set of guidelines you can use to incorporate more healthy foods into your diet:
- Vegetables (six or more servings per day)
- Fruit (one to three servings per day)
- Clean animal protein (one to three servings per day)
- Nuts and seeds (one to two servings per day)
- Legumes (one to three servings per day)
Don’t know where to start? You’re not alone. A common mental block people have about food is that healthy food doesn’t taste good. But like exercise, it’s all about finding something that you like. It’s okay if you aren’t a fan of cucumbers – but maybe you love cauliflower. Experiment in the kitchen to find out what you like. And if you need recipe ideas, you can find them in my book and on my website.
As you can see, there are many simple ways you can incorporate self-care into your life. When you begin to care for your needs, you will see shifts in your health, mood, overall well-being – and in your skin.
The Spa Dr.® Approach
At The Spa Dr.®, our approach is to help shine the light on skin care information and offer our guidance to nurture your skin care journey. We believe we provide information that will help support your self-care and healing, and we want you to feel safe and cared for within our community.
The Spa Dr.® offers natural skin care products that are safe and free from chemicals and toxins that can harm your skin and health. Our products are formulated to contain key nutrients in their pure and active form in order to provide optimal results. In addition, our products are pH balanced towards mild acidity to promote and protect a healthy skin microbiome.
If you are not already part of The Spa Dr.® community, please join us at TheSpaDr.com and on social media.
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