Hey Gorgeous!

Hey Goddess,

Between family, work, home, and social responsibilities do you often feel that all of your time is spent taking care of others?  Neglecting self-care is so easy in a busy world, but the consequences can be detrimental.  Adding self-care practices to your daily routine can help to strengthen your health and well-being - allowing space for pouring into others.  Plus, experts say the happiest and most successful people focus on self-care regularly!

Self-care = The highest form of self-love!

So Sis… do you have a self-care routine?  If not, no judgment here, but keep reading because this one's gooooooood!!!!

If you struggle with self-care, it’s likely because you spend so much of your energy taking care of others that there’s nothing left in your well for yourself.  By taking the time to do one selfish act you’ll be restoring your own importance, so I implore you to begin implementing some of these simple self-care strategies today and #thankmelater

1.  Block out time for self-care in your schedule.  That's right, put it on the calendar!  Self-care is an ongoing process and just as you reserve time in your schedule for other appointments, set aside time to take care of yourself, too.  And let's face it, if your cup isn't full, you won't be able to do all those other things on your calendar, so make this one a priority.  You may be asking, “…and do what?”  If that's you, I got you, Queen!  Some women like to use this time to pray and/or meditate.  Some like to get active and go for a run, do yoga or hike through nature.  Other women decide to light some incense, sip some herbal tea and read a chapter out of that book that's been sitting on the nightstand for months.  Some like to draw a warm bath, add a few drops of their favorite essential oil or some nourishing herbs, pour a glass of wine and un-wind.  And others like to use the time to sit in silence and do absolutely nothing.  The beauty of your routine is that it's all yours, so whichever ritual resonates with your spirit is exactly how you should move because you're being guided by your inner wisdom.  If you're short on inspo, these next few ideas should get the juices flowing!

2.  Reconnect with nature.  They say if you want to see God, open your eyes.  I say if you want to see God, open your eyes in nature.  God is all around and will use so many different vehicles to communicate with us; we just need to be sensitive enough to recognize them.  So what's my go-to strategy?  Focus my intention on connecting to the Divine Feminine within me to create space for the ‘allowing’.  This means, activating the flow and connecting with God in nature by utilizing all of the senses.  I allow myself to be open to new discoveries or perhaps redefine “beauty.”  I allow the ways in which I connect with the Divine to be intuitively-guided, meaning if I feel led to meditate in nature, I do it.  If I feel led to ground in the earth (stand, walk or sit barefoot) for 30 minutes, I do it.  If I feel led to watch the sunset or stargaze before bed, I do it.  If I feel led to hike through the coffee plantations in my beautiful Costa Rican backyard, I do that.  My intention is to open myself to all the many ways the Divine will communicate with me… including through encounters with the wind, maybe a feather in my path, or even animal spirit totems.  No matter how you choose to center yourself in nature, the importance is that you're present - which will improve your overall well-being over time so GET OUT THERE, GIRL!!

 3.  Replace negative thoughts or self-talk with the positive.  This one is pretty self-explanatory, but if you're anything like me you are your biggest critic so it might take a bit of practice, but you know what they say… practice makes perfect!  Thoughts become things, so which would you rather manifest in your life?  The negative thoughts about who you think you are in a moment of frustration or disappointment, or more of all the beautifully, amazingly, wonderfully, fabulous things about who you actually are?  I'm willing to bet that you would much rather manifest more of the latter and not the former, so get this one in your spirit, Love!

4.  De-clutter.  Whether you decide to de-clutter your closet or clean out the fridge, removing clutter will raise the frequency of your space because it allows stagnant energy to dissipate - which in turn, uplifts your spirit.  Clutter can drain you physically, mentally, emotionally and energetically.  It can also make you unhappy or frustrated as you try to move through your day.  After de-cluttering, you can also smudge your space with some white sage or palo santo as it further clears negative or stagnant energy.  Regardless of how you choose to de-clutter, you should eliminate the things that no longer serve you in all ways and take notice of the difference it makes.

5.  Make note of the compliments you receive.  Now, I'm sure you've seen the meme… the one where Idris Elba compliments you, and you utter a mental “Okaaaayyyyy, you still got it, Sis," but if it's Flavor Flav you're ready to file a sexual harassment complaint?  LOL!  I get it, but this isn't necessarily about that so don't let this one stress you out!  I mean, of course you can take note of the compliments you receive from your mate or potential suitors, but this also applies to the random stranger that compliments your outfit or your boss who praises you for a job well-done, which means you can enjoy this self-care practice as you work or run errands!  Just start taking note of the compliments you receive by jotting them down in a journal, diary, or online folder.  Your compliment folder can also include emails, notes, thank you cards, and other things that make you smile.  This particular self-care practice will also help you combat negative thoughts (see #2).  Moreover, compliments serve as little reminders that you matter, your existence is important, and someone appreciates you.

Whichever rituals you use to create your routine, it’s important to adopt self-care habits that you can enjoy on a regular basis because they’ll help you increase your productivity, avoid burnout, and allow you to enjoy life.  And anything can be ritual because it's all about the care with which it's executed and the intention behind it.  I'll leave you with this… peace resides within fulfillment so start making time for you today.

Chat Soon, be well!