Self-Care Reminder
Garden tea party with my best bud, Jaco.
Allow this post to serve as a reminder to take a little time focusing on yourself each day. Whether you want to call it “self-care”, “me time”, or the less cutesy “unplugged existing” - setting an intention to spend 5-10 minutes a day participating in an activity that makes you feel good and allows you to disconnect from media while reconnecting with your surroundings has many physiologic benefits. Sometimes self-care means hiking forest trails, taking a bubble bath, meeting up with friends (and leaving your phone on silent), baking a cake, going for a walk, or brewing a pot of tea. Other times it means having a tea party with your dog at your backyard meditation station. As long as it brings you joy, we’re here for it!
On this self-care Sunday I chose to prioritize sleep and sunshine. You may notice that I posted this blog on Monday, not Sunday - a sensible decision to stay offline for the day that I happily followed through with. After sleeping in a bit later than normal I created my menu for the week and went to the grocery store to stock my fridge with colorful and easy to prep foods. I didn’t feel like meal prepping today, so I skipped that and made the conscious decision to spend a bit more time prepping dinner each day this week. For me, meal prep can sometimes take away from the meditative effect that cooking can have after a long day of seeing clients and researching. Skipping my afternoon meal prep allowed for more time spent doing things I’d been putting off, like re-potting some plants that needed attention after my mid-winter cross-country move. While spending a sunny Sunday in my new backyard with my sweet companion, Jaco and my newly rejuvenated plants, I brewed a pot of an old favorite tea to sip under my Cherry Blossom that’s just starting to come alive in these early days of Spring.
I invite you to participate in your own version of “self-care day”. Doing so on a Sunday allows me to reset for the week ahead so I can approach whatever is to come with a clear and nourished mind. It’s unrealistic to have this expectation for myself every week - I know I don’t have a full day for self-care each week, and you likely don’t either. That’s why I like to set an intention to take 5-10 minutes per day to do something that makes me feel good while disconnecting from things that tend to take up space in my head. For 5-10 minutes, simply exist within yourself and the activity (or non-activity) that you choose. Pick up the instrument that you’ve been meaning to for a while, make that recipe you’ve been wanting to try, walk in a safe space with a partner or solo with your phone set to “Do Not Disturb”, play a YouTube video of a meditation, or read a few pages in your favorite book that’s been collecting dust.
Hibiscus Pomegranate Tea with Orange
The tea that I brewed today is an old favorite of mine. It’s a floral and fruity concoction that’s rich in vitamin C & polyphenols and tastes great hot or over ice. Steep some hibiscus tea with orange peel and an ounce of fresh pomegranate juice to recreate this delicious drink. Jaco thinks you should give it a try 🐾
Cheers to your health and happiness!
-Brittney