During the past few months, I’ve been more focused on taking care of myself – mind, body, and spirit.  It takes a lot of courage to take a step back and recognize that you need time to better yourself. Depending on where you are on your journey, self-care can take shape in various ways.. for me, my current path is a road to feeling better and being healthy, and I’ve learned through experience that this form of care and self love (no matter how little) can make a huge difference.  I’ve written down a few things that have helped me… although these may seem like tiny steps, to me, they’re steps in the right direction.  

Inspiration

Finding inspiration to keep yourself motivated can be difficult for most of us.  We get in the habit of walking through our everyday routines without giving it a second thought, although sometimes they can be a good distraction, it can also be difficult to take a step back to see your bigger picture… What are your goals? What makes you happy?

One of my goals has been to bring more beauty and happiness to my day-to-day routines.  With the help of my hubby, I changed up one of the walls in our home office (aka my makeup room) to help bring my inspiration to life.  I was immediately drawn to (Pinterest) pins of floral walls and waned to create one of my own.  The “find the beauty in everyday” print was a perfect find at TJ Maxx.  

Relaxation

I sometimes get so overwhelmed that my mind feels like it’s racing a mile a minute – all these thoughts and fears play out in my head and it makes me feel anxious and tense.  I’ve found that taking some time for myself, a moment to breathe, has been equally as important to me as checking off items on my to-do lists. I was recently introduced to bath bombs and Dr. Teal’s foaming bath, which have made me obsessed with taking a bath. They’re fizzy, bubbly, they come in a variety of colors and both products smell amazing.  Stepping into bath, I feel instantly calm. 

By the way, sheet masks are MY LIFE.  I usually follow up my bath with one of these and it’s like a mini facial.  These masks target different skincare issues, like pores, brightness, hydration… I love and use them all.  Of course, you may end up looking like a serial killer for 15-20 minutes but your skin will thank you.        

Mind over Matter

“the runaway”

At the time I created this sponge painting, I was feeling as if I was stuck — trying to move forward but there were things (planned and unplanned) that was still pulling me back.  

Ever since I started attending art therapy group sessions, I feel like I’ve rediscovered my love for art.  I was never great at creating art (I never quite mastered shading) but in the abstract, painting and doodling has helped ease my mind.  I paint what I feel, when I’m anxious, when I’m upset, or when I’m feeling inspired. I use colors to express my emotions and without putting too much thought into it, I paint. Shapes, squiggles, lines, dots. Having that feeling of letting go of something, something I’ve been holding onto, something inside that I wouldn’t normally share, has been incredibly freeing.  

And if all else fails… 

…take a selfie with a bottle of wine (preferably animal-shaped).

I hope this list will help inspire your well-being – keep focused on your goals and health, one step at a time.

<3 Patrice