Photo by Mikhail Vasilyev on Unsplash
It's a brand new week! I don't know about you, but I'm feeling pretty wiped out lately: a combination of a lot of socializing, a full season at my day job, ramping up for teaching next month, not great sleep, etc. Here's a few links to self-care suggestions from around the web that are helping me to get back on track and support myself - hopefully they'll inspire you to take care as well.
Low Power Mode / Self Care During Challenging Times: Eileen Laird is one of my favorite health bloggers and this recent post of hers highlights simple but powerful strategies to take care of yourself when the going gets tough. Remember, you might be a creative soul, but you are also a human with a body and mind that needs to be cared for as well.
Start with the Basics: There are many versions of this advice, but this little graphic captures the idea pretty well: whenever I find myself questioning my life and what the heck I'm doing, I often find that my existential crisis is caused by a lack of sleep, not having eaten a good meal, or not having taking a shower at 3:00 pm on a Saturday afternoon. It's amazing what the basics can do for seeing the world in a bit of a brighter way.
Never Underestimate the Power of Cute Baby Animals: If you need a smile, visit this Instagram account. Looking at my sweet kitty or photos of animals almost always allows me to observe a living being that has no concept of falling behind on emails, not getting any likes on a Twitter post, or feeling silly because you tripped on the curb in front of everyone.
Soothing Self-Massage: I've been reading about how relaxing foot massages can be before bed, and I'm excited to try this guided video to see if it helps me to get more (and deeper) zzzzz's.
Literally the Most Relaxing Song in the World: A recent study actually found that the song Weightless, by Marconi Union, is literally the most relaxing song in the world after guiding participants through listening to a variety of tunes and observing a "65 percent reduction in participants' overall anxiety, and a 35 percent reduction in their usual physiological resting rates." Have a listen and see what you think!
Low Power Mode / Self Care During Challenging Times: Eileen Laird is one of my favorite health bloggers and this recent post of hers highlights simple but powerful strategies to take care of yourself when the going gets tough. Remember, you might be a creative soul, but you are also a human with a body and mind that needs to be cared for as well.
Start with the Basics: There are many versions of this advice, but this little graphic captures the idea pretty well: whenever I find myself questioning my life and what the heck I'm doing, I often find that my existential crisis is caused by a lack of sleep, not having eaten a good meal, or not having taking a shower at 3:00 pm on a Saturday afternoon. It's amazing what the basics can do for seeing the world in a bit of a brighter way.
Never Underestimate the Power of Cute Baby Animals: If you need a smile, visit this Instagram account. Looking at my sweet kitty or photos of animals almost always allows me to observe a living being that has no concept of falling behind on emails, not getting any likes on a Twitter post, or feeling silly because you tripped on the curb in front of everyone.
Soothing Self-Massage: I've been reading about how relaxing foot massages can be before bed, and I'm excited to try this guided video to see if it helps me to get more (and deeper) zzzzz's.
Literally the Most Relaxing Song in the World: A recent study actually found that the song Weightless, by Marconi Union, is literally the most relaxing song in the world after guiding participants through listening to a variety of tunes and observing a "65 percent reduction in participants' overall anxiety, and a 35 percent reduction in their usual physiological resting rates." Have a listen and see what you think!
