For the past year, I have given special affirmations for spring, summer & fall. Now, after three seasons focusing on growth & peace of mind, it’s time to turn inward & focus on joy & self-love.
Winter is the perfect time to check-in with yourself & find out how you are doing emotionally. As much of nature is hibernating, we, too, should be taking time to rest. With the cold weather, it’s important for us to give ourselves comfort during this time. And most importantly, we must remember that winter does not last forever – we are strong & resilient, & spring will come again.
These five affirmations are meant to help you recenter yourself & engage in more self-love. The design is perfect to share to your Instagram story, or to save for yourself as your phone background. Make sure they are placed somewhere you can see every day to remind yourself of your worth & to help you stay motivated this season.
Fall is my favorite season. With the crisp, beautiful weather, colorful trees, fun activities, the holidays not far away, & an entire month dedicated to gratitude, I think I have good reason to believe it is the most wonderful time of the year.
Self-care is important any time of the year, but I think it also becomes extra meaningful in the fall. As the weather grows colder & the days become shorter, we tend to find ourselves indoors, away from the sunshine & fresh air. Even if you don’t suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) (a type of depression related to the changing seasons, often believed to be caused in part by the limited amount of sunlight), the time spent cooped up inside can still be bad for your mental & physical health. When you add on the stress of the coming holidays, it can be even more difficult to feel relaxed & keep a smile on your face.
If you are looking for some ways to show yourself some meaningful self-care this fall, check out the list below. As I have noted in previous blog posts, self-care is a very personal experience, & you should always make time to do things that bring you joy & comfort. But, there is nothing wrong with switching up your regular routine to reflect the unique joys & challenges that each season brings. Try a few activities, find what works best for you, & keep it in your back pocket for the next stressful day ahead.
It may be growing colder, but the unbearable winter days have not arrived yet. In fact, this time of year is perfect for a walk outside. The cooler weather means you won’t be profusely sweating through your workout, & the changing leaves make a beautiful scenic backdrop for a lovely stroll. Put on a light jacket, find a trail, & leave your worries behind. You can go alone, or bring a friend with you for a nice chat while you admire the scenery.
I love fall produce. Squash, pumpkin, apples…the recipe possibilities are endless. Cooking can be a fun activity to relieve stress, & at the end, you get something delicious to eat! Find a fall recipe on Pinterest, visit a farmer’s market, & do something kind for your body & mind by making a meal with the fresh ingredients you find.
3. Treat yourself to your favorite candy on Halloween
As a nutrition coach, people often think I am completely anti-sugar. And, on normal occasions, I do recommend that you limit sugar in your diet as much as possible. But, as a nutrition coach, I also recognize that living a balanced lifestyle means eating things that you love, & sometimes that includes candy.
This Halloween, treat yourself to your favorite childhood candy bar or a lovely pumpkin dessert. One treat won’t hurt your physical health, & it can actually be great for your mental health to break your regular healthy eating routine with a little treat. Treating ourselves every once in a while helps us stick to our healthy eating goals & can actually be calming to a mind that feels overwhelmed by a stricter eating routine (if this is you, I encourage you to follow my holistic health Instagram page Evolve – it’s full of recipes & inspiration to prove that healthy eating does not have to mean restrictive eating).
As a side note, I feel it’s always necessary to tell everyone that desserts are not rewards for your hard work – they are little gifts just for just being you. You don’t have to earn your treats – you are already deserving of them. We make healthy choices because we love ourselves, not to punish ourselves – the same goes for giving ourselves dessert.
Nothing seems more romantic to me than a fall getaway in the mountains. And in this case, I define “romantic” as “alluring,” because you can absolutely treat yourself to a weekend getaway by yourself. If you’re not a forest or mountains person, it’s still warm enough in the Southern states for a trip to the beach. Treat yourself to a night or a whole weekend away, by yourself or with someone you love.
I love cozying up to a good book, a mug of tea in my hand & a blanket around my shoulders. It is the perfect activity for a chilly day. Read an old favorite, or finally crack open that book that’s been at the top of your list for months.
6. Get a full night’s sleep
This time of year, the nights are longer, & for good reason: This is a time for hibernation. Take advantage of the extra dark hours by going to be early. Your body’s natural melatonin levels increase this time of year when the world gets darker. Do what your body is calling you to do naturally by giving yourself a little extra rest.
7. Find your new favorite indoor workout
Me doing yoga in my home
If you have been exercising outdoors all summer, this can be a great time of year to switch up your routine & find a new indoor exercise routine that you love! Join a local gym & go to a new class, or browse the thousands of workouts on YouTube. I personally love POPSUGAR Fitness.
It’s cold outside! Warm your body & relax with a hot bath in the evening. You can bring your favorite book or just listen to relaxing music. To benefit even more, pour some epsom salts into the water to help detoxify your body & reduce inflammation. A little therapeutic-grade lavender essential oil can also help in calming the mind.
You are spending a lot more time inside these days, which means your environment indoors needs to be just as healthy as it would be outdoors. Take some time to clean & declutter. Make the space you spend time in inviting & calming. If you find things you no longer want, donate them to help make someone else’s day better, too!
November is the month of gratitude. What if you kept the practice going all season? End every day with writing down what you are thankful for. You will be amazed at how quickly this little practice can change your mindset to one of gratitude & abundance. Throughout your day, you will find yourself searching for & taking notice to, not for the things that bother you, but for the things that bring you joy.
What are your favorite fall self-care activities? Leave a comment below!
P.S. Do you need more self-care in your life? Check out the Sunshine Box, a personalized subscription boxfilled with items to help you have more self-care in your life. Learn more here.
You probably have already heard about it – even if you haven’t been watching the Olympics, I’m sure it’s been popping up on your newsfeed & social media. Simone Biles, after experiencing what gymnasts called “the twisties” (or a loss of awareness of where you are in the air), pulled herself out of the Olympics competition last week. She returned at the beginning of this week to compete & win bronze on beam. Biles is an Olympic champion, winner of multiple gold medals, but she was quoted saying that this bronze medal “means more than all the golds because I’ve pushed through so much the last five years & the last week I’ve been here.”
Given certain circumstances, bronze means more than gold.
I want that statement to sink in for a moment. We may not all be Olympic athletes (I’m venturing a guess that no one reading this is currently competing in Tokyo), but we all have our own competitions, our own daily challenges, our moments when we are put to the test. And the message most often, when we come to these moments less prepared, not in the right headspace, or feeling unwell, is to push through. Keep going. Don’t let anything stop you.
Simone Biles, one of the greatest gymnasts & athletes of all time, just showed everyone that it’s okay to listen to your body & pull yourself out, even in what seems to be the most important moment of your life, the climax of your story.
Simone Biles spent last week cheering on her teammates from the sidelines, congratulating them on their gold medals when she should have been winning medals of her own. She voluntarily went from being the center of attention to the cheerleader on the sidelines. And we all love her even more for it.
And when she finally did return, & won bronze, we all cheered even harder than before. Because, in that moment, we watched someone who was not only a terrific athlete, but someone who was human, just like us, defy the odds, advocate for mental health, & still take home an Olympic medal when we would have been just as proud of her if she hadn’t come home with anything.
Given certain circumstances, bronze means more than gold.
Where in your life are you pushing too hard, & what are you sacrificing for it? Is there an area where you have the spotlight, but perhaps it would be better for you, or those around you, if you gave it to someone else? Is there an area of your life where giving up achieving the “best” could actually afford you the chance to have something better, to enjoy life more, to take care of yourself & others?
It’s not an easy decision to make. It’s hard to pull back when we know we could be capable of more. But just because we can do it does not mean we should. Just because we can do the workload of that promotion doesn’t mean it’s worth sacrificing family time. Just because we can work overtime doesn’t mean it’s worth the lack of sleep & toll on our physical well-being. Just because we can deal with & make a toxic relationship work doesn’t mean it is worth the damage to our mental health.
Just because we can achieve gold, it doesn’t make the bronze any less valuable.
It’s a tough pill to swallow. Disappointment is that empty feeling in the pit of your stomach that makes it difficult to focus on anything else. And it doesn’t just hurt when we personally experience disappointment. There’s no worse slap in the face than when someone tells you they are disappointed in you.
According to Psychology Today, disappointment is a type of sadness: “A feeling of loss, an uncomfortable space (or a painful gap) between our expectations & reality.” We can set ourselves up for disappointment when we have higher expectations for a situation or outcome than what is realistic.
According to Dr. Tara Well, an associate professor of psychology at Barnard College of Columbia University, one way to deal with disappointment before it happens is to manage these expectations. Be realistic when setting time limits to achieve your goals, & realize that, even if you achieve a desired outcome, it may not give you the happiness you desire. We are taught to associate happiness with certain things, like money or power, but often these things fail to give us the happiness we thought they would. Similarly, disappointment can come from placing too many expectations or too much responsibility for your happiness on a single person in your life. And we also face disappointment when things don’t go as planned; when things don’t fall into place the way we thought they would, especially when we worked hard to make it so, it can be disheartening.
One of the most important things you can do to avoid disappointment is to approach life in a more relaxed state. Being flexible allows you to deal with moments with acceptance & perseverance, rather than disappointment. But, that’s a rather hard thing to do. If you are naturally more anxious or perfectionistic, changing your personality is not an easy task.
So, what do you do if you’re already feeling disappointed?
If you’re feeling disappointed in yourself, speak to yourself with kindness. Talk to yourself as you would a friend. Look for the lesson in what you learned to move forward with knowledge & insight from this moment. And most importantly, have grace & forgiveness for yourself.
If you are disappointed in a person, remember to approach others with kindness as well. Think about whether the expectations you are placing on others are things you should be fulfilling for yourself. Sometimes, it is necessary to reevaluate a relationship to make sure it is beneficial for both parties – that there is an even give & take. But other times, we have to recognize our own needs, & realize that the other person is either not capable of fulfilling them, or that we did not even communicate them properly. In both of these situations, communicating with the other person & working together to define what your relationship will look like is a good next step.
And last but not least, what do you do when you encounter a disappointing situation?
I think the first instinct for a lot of us is to put our heads down & move on. I mean, there’s no point crying over spilled milk right? And in situations that cannot be changed, this may be the best route of action. Take whatever lesson you can from the situation & move on. But what about for situations where you may be able to change something? Or, perhaps, there is a better alternative that you didn’t even think of before.
Every time I’ve just “moved on” in my life after a disappointment, instead of thinking about what I could do instead, it tends to become one of those memories from years ago that pops into my head when I lie in bed & keeps me up all night.
When I face a disappointing situation, the first thing I honestly do is cry & have a little pity party for myself. Then I brush myself off & fight it.
Is it futile? Sometimes, yes. I mean, if we’re using the spilled milk analogy, have you ever tried gather up spilled liquid off the ground? There’s absolutely no point. Clean it up, throw it out, & move on.
But, maybe it isn’t spilled milk. Maybe it’s just a dropped piece of chocolate, & I think the five-second-rule applies. I want to know, when I lay down & get to thinking late at night that I did everything I could to get the outcome I desired. Because it’s one thing to be disappointed in a situation, but it’s an entirely different thing to be disappointed in myself. It doesn’t always work out, but it can save me from thinking back & regretting the choices that I’ve made in my life, & that’s worth the fight.
Note: This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product after clicking a link, I may earn a commission off of that purchase.
Note: Read all the way to the end of this article for a special summer giveaway opportunity!
Summer is finally here, which means it’s the perfect time to get some sunlight, relax & recharge. And especially after the year we all had, I think it’s time for a little extra self-care time.
Self-care is a very personal experience, & it should always be spent doing things that specifically bring you joy & comfort. But, there’s nothing wrong with switching up your self-care activities to reflect the unique joys that each season brings. Summer is full of fun ways to show yourself some love.
Read on for 10 easy ways to practice self-care this season.
This is by far the simplest way to practice self-care this season, but it’s still super important. When we are exposed to sunlight, our brains release serotonin, otherwise known as the “happy hormone.” Serotonin not only boosts our mood; it also helps us to feel calm & focused, which means more productive lives. In addition to this, the sun gives us Vitamin D, which is linked to better bone health, & it can actually help promote healthy skin! That glowing look you want can be achieved by spending time in the sun’s rays! Just make sure you show your skin a little extra self-care & wear lots of sunscreen.
Physically & socially, spend some time off the grid this summer. Get out of town. Plan a vacation & treat yourself. And when you do, consider staying unplugged from your phone. I know, there are tons of Instagrammable photos to share on vacation, but you can always share them later. Give yourself a little time to be present with those around you, or just to yourself, because you deserve your undivided attention as well.
3. Spend time with people who make you feel good
Joseph & me at brunch with my parents
Distance yourself from negativity & spend time with people who make you feel good. Now that COVID-19 restrictions are lifting, you can finally go out to brunch, swim in the pool, or go to a concert with the people that matter most to you. Plan a picnic, go on a walk, or just give someone you love a phone call. Studies show that spending time with people helps reduce the symptoms of many mental health conditions, including anxiety & depression, & building strong relationships helps provide support when you are experiencing challenging situations.
Every body is a beach body. Whether it’s a bikini, a sundress, a one-piece, or a sarong, wear what makes you feel most beautiful & confident to the beach, & don’t give one thought to what other people think. There is nothing more beautiful than a woman who dresses with dignity & carries herself with confidence.
This is important all year long, but it’s especially important in summer. When we sweat, we lose water, & when our bodies are dehydrated, they don’t function properly. Signs of dehydration include fatigue, constipation, dry skin, & headaches, & severe dehydration can cause low blood pressure, heat exhaustion, seizures, heat stroke, kidney failure, & coma. Keep your body hydrated by drinking water throughout your day. You can add more flavor to your water by adding fresh fruits, herbs, or vegetables. One refreshing combination I love is cucumber, mint & lime. Or, if I’m in the mood for something sweet, I love adding freshly chopped berries. If you’re doing activities outdoors, consider adding electrolytes to your water – choose low-sugar brands that will replenish the sodium, magnesium, & potassium you are losing through your sweat without loading up on sugar. When you keep your body hydrated, it gives you more energy & helps you to feel your best.
6. Visit a farmer’s market
Joseph & me at the farmer’s market picking out fresh produce for a picnic dinner
With spring & early summer gardens finally in full bloom, this is the perfect opportunity to visit your local farmer’s market & pick out fresh produce to cook with. It supports a local business, & it also a fun way to eat healthy. Look for recipe inspiration on Pinterest, or just start experimenting in the kitchen!
Get outside & enjoy the warm weather while exercising. There are lots of fun summer activities that are also great forms of exercise, including kayaking, swimming, & hiking. Try to go out early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid the hottest parts of the day, & make sure to wear sunscreen while you’re outdoors.
Enjoy your summer days to the fullest by waking up with the sun. Bringing natural light into your room & waking up with the sunrise is a much more gentle way to wake up, as opposed to a blaring alarm clock. This means you wake up more refreshed & ready to tackle your day! And, if you do this consistently, your circadian rhythm will adjust, which means deeper sleep & more productive days.
Whether you’re relaxing on the beach or spending a day indoors away from the heat, summer is the perfect time to start a new book. Why not find something inspirational? Pick a topic you are interested in, or simply search for inspirational books online or at your local library to find your new uplifting read.
Alright, as promised, it is giveaway time!
Much of my blog is dedicated to helping my readers find more self-care in their lives. To help inspire you to take better care of yourself this summer, I have a challenge that could help you win some special prizes!
The Summer Self-Care Bingo Challenge includes all the self-care activities listed above, plus 14 more ways to show yourself some extra love this summer. Complete 5 activities in a row, column, or diagonally to win a month-long subscription to Sticker of the Month & the weekly newsletter. Complete the entire board, & you will a FREE Sunshine Box! That’s right – spend more time this summer dedicated to self-care, & you can get more self-care delivered right to your doorstep!
To complete a bingo square, post a selfie of you completing the activity on Instagram & tag me @TylerVLayne with the hashtag #SummerSelfCareBingo, & I will do the rest of the work for you. The Summer Self-Care Bingo Challenge will start June 15 & will end August 30.
After a season of growth, summer is the perfect season to relax & find joy in the present moment.
Positive affirmations are a great way to reframe your perspective on life & keep your mind focused on what’s most important. Your mindset has the power to give you more confidence & positivity in your daily life, or to bring you down. By repeating affirmations in your mind, you can ease anxieties & help yourself to focus on what’s most important.
These five affirmations are geared towards summer fun & relaxation. Whether you are trying to clear your mind while lounging by the pool, or if you’re attempting to ease anxieties before a big trip, these affirmations will help you enjoy your summer to its fullest. Feel free to share on social media, or save these graphics to make them your new phone background! It’s an easy way to remind yourself to repeat these words when you need them most.
Can I be real with you all for a minute? It’s been a tough week.
I recently started listening to a podcast called Deeply Human that I highly recommend. It’s about why we do the things that we do, like get angry when we stand in lines or why it seems to get harder to find the perfect match the more we date, even though it seems like it should be the other way around. This past week, I listened to an episode on pain that hit deep. Pain is something I am no stranger to. I have dealt with chronic illness since I was 10 years old – there has not been a day in the last decade of my life that I have not experienced pain.
This may come as a surprise to some people. I am very active, & I normally consider myself to be a rather optimistic person as well. And, just to be clear, this illness has not made me feel any less grateful in my life. In fact, I think it’s helped me to realize just how blessed I am. I love my life. But, as much as I don’t want my illness to define my life, it is a part of it, just as much as my job, my relationship, or my cultural background. So, why am I comfortable talking about those things, but not about the pain I experience?
This podcast had a really good answer. Pain is something we all struggle to talk about first & foremost because it’s a private feeling. I can’t explain in words what it feels like to experience chronic pain. You can only kind of understand if you have chronic pain as well, but then, we still don’t quite have an understanding because everyone’s experience of pain is different. We all have different levels of tolerance. For example, if I burn my hand on a stove, & you burn your hand on the same stove, we could feel completely different levels of pain. So, even though we both are experiencing the same burn, we don’t truly have an understanding of what the other person is experiencing.
Secondly, there is a bit of a taboo associated with pain. When we express the pain we are going through, we try to make light of it – we diminish our experience because we don’t want people to feel sorry for us or make things awkward. To the same respect, the people we are telling about our pain feel pressured to keep things light as well. The topic moves on quickly. The trouble with this is that pain, whatever type it may be (mental, physical, acute, chronic) can seem very isolating.
Pain is interesting because it is simultaneously a universal & very personal experience. We all experience pain, yet we can’t ever truly understand anyone’s pain but our own.
So, let me tell you about my week. It was an awesome week. I spent time with family & friends; I finished all of my work during the week (something that rarely happens), so I had the opportunity to have a lovely, relaxing weekend; I received my second vaccine shot; and my dad, brother & future sister-in-law came to visit me at my new house with a surprise gift: a new grill! It was a fun & exciting week, & yet, I spent quite a few days of it breaking down in tears because I received a disappointing letter. After years of fighting chronic illness, a trial program at Johns Hopkins was finally created to help bring relief to patients like me, but I didn’t get in.
You know what’s interesting though? My pain level hasn’t changed in the last week. I feel the same as I always do. Despite the disappointment, the most painful thing about receiving this letter is that I felt like I couldn’t talk about it. I succumbed to the social pressures that said talking about pain was taboo & thought that expressing my feelings about this experience would bring other people down, so I tried not to talk about it at all. I shared about my job, had a date night with my fiancé, & posted pictures on Instagram about what was happening during my day, never even mentioning the biggest thing that had happened in my life because it would make things “awkward.”
The most painful thing about this past week is that I felt alone. While gathering documents to re-apply to the program & shuffling through lab report after lab report, I felt like I was the only one who could possibly understand what I was going through. It made my pain feel isolating.
But, I’m not alone. Whether you have experienced something like this or not, you have experienced pain. We all have. And, I think it might be time to start talking about it.
When I finally broke down this past week & shared my feelings, I felt a weight lift off of my shoulders. For days, despite all of the good happening around me, it felt like this was all I could think about. That letter had me shackled in silent suffering. Now, despite the fact that I am still experiencing pain & I still haven’t been accepted into the program, I feel free.
No matter what pain you are experiencing in your life, I want you to know that you’re not alone, & I encourage you, as awkward as it may be, to talk to someone about it. And if someone comes to you expressing a pain they have been experiencing, I encourage you not to change the topic because it’s “uncomfortable.” Lean into the discomfort. Get to know someone at that deep & personal level. And if you can, try practicing vulnerability & sharing some of your pain as well. I truly believe that if we start doing this, despite the different experiences of pain that we have, we will all realize once again the universal aspect of pain, & therefore, we will feel less alone & more connected than ever before. And that’s important, because connection – true human love & empathy – can be healing. Human connection has been proven to strengthen our immune systems, reduce stress, & help patients heal from trauma. Pain, in & of itself, can be traumatic. It wreaks havoc on our immune systems, & it can be the source of or a symptom of stress.
I know it’s not a magic pill. It won’t heal any pain you are experiencing, whether it be mental or physical. But speaking up & connecting with others will bring you comfort & support during your journey, & for a lot of us, I think that’s all we really want from our community.
Speaking up isn’t easy. This blog post is a start. If you need someone to talk to, please reach out to me. I would love to listen to your story.
Note: This post does contain affiliate links. If you buy a product after clicking a link, I may earn a commission off of that purchase.
Self-care is important any time of year, but spring is the perfect season to take a little extra time for yourself. While the world is waking from its slumber & committing itself to new growth once again, you can do the same.
Spending some time to engage in self-care looks different for everyone. It’s important to match the type of self-care you use with what is actually beneficial & meaningful to you. A bubble bath can be a great way to relax, but if you don’t have a comfortable place to soak, your muscles don’t need to relax, or, even worse, if you don’t even like soaking in baths, this may not be the best way to engage in self-care for you. I find it interesting when people force themselves to do self-care, & they choose an activity that they don’t enjoy & get it done like just any other task on their to-do list. Self-care should be something that you need & that brings relief & relaxation to your life in some way. This means that sometimes it is indulgent, like eating chocolate or bingeing on your favorite Netflix show, but sometimes its actually less glamorous, like cleaning out your closet or spending a day getting all the things done that never make it onto your to-do list. No matter what, at the end of your activity, you should feel some sort of relief & feel better about your current state in life.
With that being said, I love to theme my activities to the season I am in, personally & in the world. Spring is a perfect time for self-care because there are so many things you can do! Listed below are 10 ways you can engage in self-care this spring. As stated above, make sure you choose one that is meaningful to you, & enjoy your self-care time! You deserve it.
The weather has finally gotten warmer, which means it is the perfect time to go for a relaxed walk outdoors & enjoy some fresh air. If you are looking to get your heart & adrenaline pumping a little more, go for a run or bike ride. The clean air & physical activity are good for your mental & physical health.
The time for spring cleaning is here, but this doesn’t have to be treated like just another annoying task you have to complete. Making your environment clean & orderly is beneficial for your mental health. A cluttered space encourages a cluttered mind. Take some time to purge your house of things you no longer need, & then take some time to clean up & maybe even decorate your environment in a new way that brings you joy, not just for the day, but for months to come.
3. Make a healthy meal with ingredients from the farmer’s market
Me & Joseph buying ingredients from the farmer’s market the day he proposed
Healthy food nourishes our body & helps us feel our best. Why not support a local farmer’s market & take some time for yourself by making a gourmet meal with all fresh ingredients? It’s a fun activity, & a healthy way to take to nourish your body.
Now that the weather is warmer, it is the perfect time to go for a trip. Plan your itinerary for little getaway in your local tourist spot, or make it more spontaneous & just walk around the area to see what attracts you most. You can do it alone for some quality time with you, or go with your family or a friend for some much-needed social time.
If you’re anything like me, your skin is feeling a little dry & pale after a long, cold winter. Try out a new skincare routine to help moisturize your cracked skin & give it a fresh glow for the new season.
6. Plant a garden
My brother, Jake, & me collecting the produce from our garden my junior year of high school
It’s good for you, & its good for the environment, too. Spend some time getting in some physical activity by planting a garden, & then reap the benefits for months to come with the fresh, healthy & delicious produce you harvest. Or, plant a flower garden & let the bright colors & lovely scents bring you joy every day.
If you aren’t into gardening, bring spring into your home by buying yourself some fresh flowers. Put them in a lovely vase on your table or wherever you will see them to brighten your space. A little touch of spring indoors is a great way to celebrate the season & show yourself some love.
My new favorite crafting hobby is paper crafts with Washi Tape! This is the valentine I made Joseph this year
Spring is the time of new beginnings, so why not try something new? If you want to do something healthy for your body, try a new exercise routine or start cooking more healthy meals at home. If you’re just looking to engage your mind in a new way, why not try a new craft or start doing crossword puzzles. Whatever appeals to you or whatever you have been wanting to try, this is the perfect time to start doing it.
I hope you found a new self-care activity that excites you. Try to give yourself a little time each day, even if it’s just a few minutes, to give yourself a little extra love & care. Your body, mind & soul will thank you.
What’s your favorite way to engage in self-care? Leave me a comment below!
Do you need a little more inspiration? Download my free printable self-care calendar for April! It has a different activity idea for every day, making it the perfect way to remind you to spend some time for yourself daily, as well as try out different self-care activities if you’re not sure what you like best. It helps when we support each other, even with self-care, so stay tuned to my social media next month for my own journey with self-care, using this calendar & article for inspiration.
P.S. Self-care shouldn’t feel like work. Why not get it delivered to your doorstep every month? The Sunshine Box is a personalized self-care subscription box that is filled with items picked out just for you! It’s the perfect way to show yourself a little extra love each month. Learn more & subscribe here.
Spring is a time of renewal. It is the season of new life, when the cold & dreariness of winter finally subsides & hopeful little flower buds poke their heads out into the sunlight. What time could be more perfect to leave our old selves behind & start anew?
Positive affirmations are a great way to change our mindset, & therefore, change our entire lives! Our thoughts have such a profound effect on how we perceive the world around us. Just simply changing the words we speak to ourselves can help us to feel happier & more fulfilled.
Below, I have five positive affirmations that can help you renew your mind & soul this spring. All of them have been designed to be the perfect size for your phone’s wallpaper, so you can put them right where you will see them most. Every time you unlock your phone, you will be reminded of these powerful words. We know that repeating affirmations to ourselves throughout the day can be a powerful way to change our thinking patterns, so having this constant reminder right on our phones is a great way to begin this process!
I hope you enjoy these affirmations, & that they bring you a refreshing sense of peace & joy after a long winter. Leave me a comment below letting me know which one is your favorite, or to share the affirmation you most love to repeat to yourself!
Yoga, for me, has always been a place of learning. On the mat, I learn more about myself than I discover in most other places in my life. I learn of my strength, my will, and my perseverance. I learn about my abilities, my draw to flexibility (both in my life & on the mat), & my limitations. Most importantly, I learn more about who I am, & I learn to love that person more.
Yoga was not always a part of my life. I was not a flexible child. I could not touch my toes if I wanted to. And for a long time, as ironic as it may seem given my current profession as a holistic health practitioner and personal trainer, exercise was not something I normally engaged in nor enjoyed.
However, when I was 13 years old, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. This diagnosis came after months of widespread pain in my body to the point that it was difficult to get out of bed in the mornings. I was told then that yoga could help me, both in managing my physical pain & in managing my stress, which would, in turn, decrease the amount of pain I experienced.
At first, I was skeptical. Not only was I uninterested in yoga, but I had no confidence that I could do it. As many of my first-time students think, I thought I had to be flexible to do yoga. It never occurred to me that I had it the wrong way – I didn’t need to be flexible to do yoga; yoga would help me to become flexible.
Me doing yoga on the beach in South Carolina – Photo by Kristina Stout
And it helped me with that in more ways than one. When I finally rolled out the mat & slipped back into Downward Dog, I found that yoga was not just for the body; it is for the mind as well.
The yogic lifestyle began to drip into other parts of my life. As someone who was always easily stressed & angered, someone who lived by a rigid & unyielding schedule fueled by anxiety, yoga taught me patience & flexibility. When challenges came my way, I used the strength yoga had taught me as I held Plank Pose for minutes on end. When negative situations threatened my joy, I learned to flip them around & look at them differently, just as I viewed the world from Plow Pose with my feet sitting behind my head & my shoulders supporting my body instead. I learned to meditate on worries when needed, & to let meditation sweep the worries away when they no longer needed to concern my mind. And at the end of my practice, as I laid back during Savasana, I learned that it isn’t necessarily the work, but actually the rest & relaxation that can be the most important part of my life.
Yoga carried me through some of the most difficult moments in my life. It became a regular part of my daily routine. And I always felt better, mentally, physically & spiritually, when I stepped off my mat versus when I had stepped on.
As I got older, I discovered I wanted to share this joy with others, & so I was professionally trained in the art & began teaching my own classes. There is nothing more fulfilling to me than watching a student come into my class, their body held tight with stress, their mind clearly clouded with overwhelming thoughts, & then to watch them leave with a serene expression, their body loose & mind at ease. Through teaching yoga, I learned another important lesson – my life is meant for so much more than my own experiences. I was given a life to give to others.
Yoga is still teaching me every day. I have a stubborn mind, & I often have to be taught the same lessons again, but Yoga is patient with me, & it continues to teach me to have patience with myself. Yoga has helped me to love the body I have been given, to explore the depths of my mind & spirituality, to believe in my own abilities, & to have grace for myself when I fall. Even though I am a yoga teacher, I still often feel like I am the student in my practice, & this, too, has taught me an important lesson: humility, & in turn, compassion & empathy for others.
Yoga is a journey, filled with ups & downs, back-bending difficulties & relaxing tests of patience & flexibility. But, if you are willing to embark upon it, I promise you will discover so much more than you ever knew about the most important subject you have to learn about in this life: Your self.
Namaste.
P.S. I am currently competing to be the Yoga Warrior of 2021! Voting opens March 9. I would be so very appreciative if you would consider voting for me. You can place your vote here.
