Self Care

What are your favorite self care rituals? I tend to forget about self care until I get into a fight with J, or have a terrible episode of insomnia, or yell at my children. And then I am reminded! Self care is so so so important. Not practicing self care really truly is not an option, and yet with all the demands of everyday life, it's hard to fit in and easy to neglect. So I have been brainstorming good options that kill more than one bird with each stone...

Here is my current list of favorites, and I would love to hear yours:

• 10 minutes of meditation. I love the Headspace App for this, and I'm currently reading the book!
• A brisk walk. My office mates and I love to do two laps around our block. Twice around equals one mile and takes 15 minutes or less. Perfect!
• Painting my nails. Having painted nails makes me happy and life just better. That qualifies as self-care to me! Usually I paint them at home, but bonus for treating yourself and going to a spa where you can take advantage of the facilities and sit in a robe and drink water with fruit in it every now and then.
• Drinking fresh, clean water. It's hard to stay properly hydrated! Drinking fresh, clean water is hugely important and can impact everything from regularity to mood. Drink up! 
• Running. I'm not the biggest fan of running, but it packs more punch into a short amount of time than just about any other form of exercise. (Bonus: weight loss!) As a busy mom, it's easier to do a 30-minute running workout straight out of my back door with no travel time than it is to drive to the yoga studio and do a 90-minute class that necessitates a shower afterward.
• Hot yoga. That said, nothing quite wrings my body out like a wet washcloth the way a Bikram class does. I got hooked on Bikram yoga when I was childless and very fit in my late 20's. It's harder now than it was then, but that's all the more reason to do it, right? And, breathe...
• Cooking at home. Living in Zurich meant never eating out and making just about everything from scratch. I happen to love cooking and I find it really relaxing and enjoyable, so for me cooking at home qualifies at self care not only because it means healthier meals, but also the sense of fulfillment from engaging in a hobby.
• Going for a massage. Obviously.
• Dancing. Aside from the exercise benefits, there is something so fundamentally human about dancing. I love the feeling of expression and the emotional release it provides. I desperately miss my ballet class in Zurich!
• Going to bed early. "Sleep is everything," said every mother, ever.
• Journaling. When I was in a Montessori middle-school program for eighth grade, we were required to journal on a school trip. The practice was so gratifying and calming for me, I've been doing it ever since. 

My goal going into summer is to establish a good self-care weekly routine so that when school starts up again in the fall, it will already be in place and hopefully easier to maintain. Please share your self care tips with me! It's always good to mix it up from week to week, or depending on the weather and seasons, too.

And wouldn't an English seaside holiday with a proper cup of tea and a stack of good books and zero WiFi be good self care? Maybe we need to set up a Swiss Lark self care retreat and make it happen.Who's in? ;)

(Photo via Pinterest, however the link doesn't work. Photo cred, anyone?)