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Healing

6 Ways to Self-Care This Weekend

lady taking a bubble bath

Is life feeling kind of crazy and stressful lately? We feel you.

Sometimes everything just gets to be too much. That’s why it’s really important to take some special time for yourself, especially on the weekends when you can finally relax and recharge.

This weekend, treat yourself with these 6 simple but powerful ideas for self-care. They’ll help you chill out, refocus and remember to nourish your mind, body and spirit.

Keep reading!

1. Catch Up on Sleep

Most of us are busy all week – waking up early, dealing with commutes, working long hours, taking care of our families, and more. By Saturday, we’re totally wiped out.

But we often force ourselves to jump out of bed at the crack of dawn, feeling guilty for “sleeping in.”

This weekend, give yourself permission to sleep as late as you need. Ignore that nagging inner critic saying you’re lazy for not popping out of bed at 6am.

2. Enjoy a Long, Relaxing Bubble Bath

When’s the last time you really took your time with a nice, lengthy soak in the tub? For most of us, baths are quick events, squeezed between errands and chores.

This Saturday or Sunday, clear your schedule and treat yourself to a peaceful bubble bath by candlelight. Fill the tub with hot – but not scalding – water.

Add Epsom salts to soothe sore muscles, essential oils to calm your mind, and bubbles just for fun. Light some candles, play gentle music, and savor every minute of this blissful experience. The rest of the world can wait.

3. Get a Soothing Massage

When you’re stressed and full of knots, nothing beats a good massage. The nurturing touch of a therapist releases feel-good endorphins while working out all that tension. Make time for a massage this weekend, whether you book a spa appointment or ask your partner to rub your neck, shoulders and back.

Even a 15-minute massage can melt away a world of tension. As the therapist’s or your partner’s hands unwind those knots, breathe deeply and feel yourself relaxing on physical and emotional levels.

4. Connect with Loved Ones

In our busy digital era, it’s easy to lose touch with loved ones, even when you live together. You get distracted by work, chores, screens and the latest crisis.

This weekend, schedule quality time together with the important people in your life. Put away your devices and focus completely on each other. Ask thoughtful questions, actively listen, share laughs, and do fun activities like taking a stroll, playing a game, or cooking a meal.

Reconnect wholeheartedly with those who matter most. Laughter, friendship and human contact nourish the soul deeply.

5. Get Moving Outdoors

Want an instant mood and health boost? Get moving in nature! Head to a park, hiking trail, beach, garden, or anywhere outside that makes you feel linked to the natural environment.

Breathe fresh air as you walk, job or bike with no set destination. Feel the sun and wind on your skin. Listen to the trees and birds. Smell the fragrant flowers. No gym can compare to the restorative joy of moving your body surrounded by natural beauty. Let the peaceful energy of nature wash your worries away.

6. Pamper Yourself

Sometimes the best self-care is mini spa treatments in the comfort of home. Set aside time for grooming rituals that make you feel oh-so-refreshed. Give yourself a facial, hair mask, mani/pedi, eyebrow pluck, body scrub, waxing – anything that pampers your body and spirit.

When you pamper yourself, sip a delicious NA drink, use a luxury body lotion post-shower, and play music that lifts you up.

Taking time to care for yourself with love and attention nourishes the soul. You deserve to feel 100% confident in your own skin.

Healing

Low-Cost Ways to Cope with Anxiety (#Free or Budget Friendly Ideas)

low-cost-anxiety-ideas

  1. Reading – This is always a great escape. A great way to just get lost in whatever subject is interesting to you. And it doesn’t have to be fiction; it can be about business, biographies (which I love), art, finance, celebrities, sports, etc. I think to limit news consumption and or social media distractions, print is best for now. (magazines, print books, etc.)
  2. Fave movies – who doesn’t love to curl up with a cozy good awesome movie. From a hilarious comedy to a juicy romance thriller or a heart-pumping action flick and everything else in between; vegging out for an hour and a half or so and watching your fave movie is a great anxiety reliever. Doesn’t matter if you stream, get a Redbox or go old school and watch a DVD.
  3. Reruns of (fave TV shows) – another personal fave of mine and maybe yours as well. The reason I mention reruns is that this way you know you won’t get hit with more info and or news that you want a break from. Maybe you love an oldie but goodie drama like (The Good Wife) or want something light and funny like (Friends); you can’t go wrong with watching something you know is something you already like and can count on. What are some of your go-to (must-see) fave TV shows? Share with me in the comments below.
  4. Writing/Blogging – if you happen to be a writer or a blogger, then you know that writing and or blogging is a great way to get out of your headspace and direct the focus away from yourself. And it doesn’t matter what form that takes, it could be a piece for your novel or book, a how-to video, a tutorial, a podcast, etc. Writing and or blogging is another great way to lose yourself and shift gears when it comes to emotional or even event induced anxiety.
  5. Music – I don’t know how many times a good song (or two) has completely elevated my mood and brought me from a frown to a smile. Why do you think playlists and music streaming services like Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora and others like it – have become insanely popular and widely used. From pop, rock, country, rap, reggaeton, classical, opera and whatever music taste is your fave; music absolutely and completely “feeds the soul”.
  6. Retail therapy – what’s your retail poison? Shoes, tech, purses, jewelry, clothes, art. Whatever it is and wherever; shopping can if done (with moderation) be another fantastic anxiety-reducing idea. Lately ever since joining Mercari (the selling app), I’ve become totally obsessed with it and selling or buying on there and or just browsing all the goodies. Are you an Amazon junkie, eBay pirate, H&M fiend, Columbia outdoor enthusiast – whatever you’re into; retail therapy is another good distraction, and it doesn’t have to be costly. You can easily just browse around, look for hot deals, shop for budget specific items (say something under $50, $20 or even $10 and as always – if shopping online, look for coupon/promo codes and free shipping.
  7. Food/Cooking (baking sweets mostly!) – my fave recipe site is All Recipes. On this site, I like spending time and saving different recipes I plan to try. Check out (All Recipes) for just about anything you could/would want to try to make.
  8. Family Feud on Facebook – do you love this game as much as I do? have you checked out Family Feud on Facebook? If not, here you go – take a look and follow the page if you prefer this format best. The Facebook page features clips of the TV episodes and it’s a great way to unwind, relax the mind and maybe get a laugh in as well.
  9. Dog walking – this a threefer. One you get to hang around all types of awesome doggies. Two you get exercise while walking said doggies and three you get paid. What a win-win for everyone – you, the pet owner and the doggies! Want to try dog walking with Rover? Sign up here and check it out for yourself. (scroll down the page some, to see the listing for dog walking)
  10. Laundry – simple? Yes! but it works. It gets you out of your house or apartment, you might run into others and can chat up a bit (or not, your choice!) and you get fresh nice clean clothes when it’s all said and done. I realize I’m single and as such, my laundry consists of a load or two each week, versus a family of three or four where laundry is a massive undertaking. In this case, I can see how laundry wouldn’t be a stress reliever. So this idea is mostly aimed at single people who usually have a load or two each week.
  11. Biking – if you own a bike or belong to one of the many new! bike-sharing programs (hello! Divvy) biking even for 20 or 30 minutes has been known to help with anxiety and net you the following: fresh air, Vitamin D, socialization, exercise, community and more. Don’t own a bike? You could possibly score a nice used one online through Facebook Marketplace (like I did, last Summer) or look on Craigslist. Want to join your local bike share program, but on a budget? Look up “reduced fair bike share” in Google and see what options pop up in your city. You might be able to get a low-cost option with your local bike share provider.

Stay safe and stay healthy!

Healing

Relaxation Apps for Android – 6 Good Options to Download

This is a guest post by Alex Tanase. If you too, want to write for us – please use our form.

There are different things that ail us that make some people resort to drinking and one of these is anxiety. It’s actually pretty high on the list of reasons why some people drink.

Couple that with the digital age we live in, and the intense work schedules and lifestyles of many, and it’s no wonder that over 4% of the global population is dealing with an anxiety disorder. Not only that, but over 74% of people feel overwhelmed and stressed at least once, if not multiple times during a year. That’s why it’s extremely important to relax and unwind. Thankfully, there are plenty of relaxation apps for Android that you can use to achieve such a goal. Let’s take a look at a few.

guy reading on the beach

1. Insight Timer

What makes Insight Timer unique is the fact that it helps you not only de-stress and unwind, but also focus on journaling. It has 5 wellbeing apps in 1, and it makes the process of creating healthy habits a lot simpler. You can access over 150,000 tracks for guided meditation, and you can also access sleep stories. In addition, the app does a very good job of helping you control and manage your breath. They have a breathwork library to help you optimize and control the way you breathe. You can also connect with others and attend all kinds of live breathwork sessions.

But what really sets Insight Timer apart is the ability to contemplate, reflect and journal everything. The app will help you write down things you are grateful for, how you feel in the moment, and also the goals you have. It gives you the means to ease stress, reflect on what you want to do and also monitor your mood. There are also great quotes to help inspire you for the day. All in all, this is a good app for anyone who wants to relax, unwind and refocus.

2. Calm

Calm is widely regarded as one of the top apps for meditating. If you’re dealing with constant anxiety, stress, and want to focus more on yourself, then this is a great app to get started with. It features a large number of meditative sessions, and relaxing sounds, along with stories told by many well-known celebrities and popular meditation experts.

In addition, it integrates breathwork sessions, detailed courses that span over multiple days, grounding exercises, and many others. With help from Calm, you can have that much-needed relief while also improving the way you live your life. It’s also very good if you have trouble sleeping. Its unique sessions that focus specifically on sleep improvement will help you reach deep sleep a lot easier. Aside from stories, you also have sleep-inducing music, soundscapes, along with a professional sleep-tracking tool.

3. Headspace

Headspace is a paid app, and it’s designed to help track and improve your mental health. It has specific sections that help you improve your focus and speed up the way you think and react to things. On top of that, it can also bring you courses for self-esteem, mindful eating, articles about building healthy habits, how to improve your sleep, and so on. Everything is presented in a stunning, beautiful app that’s very easy to use for beginners and experts alike.

4. Colorfy

Colorfy is an excellent tool for relaxing that takes a different path when compared to the other apps. Instead of meditating, it brings you the means to relax by drawing and coloring. You can join a large artist community and color their work the way you want.

Adult coloring books are known to help you relax, ease stress, and relieve any anxiety or depression. Colorfy itself is free to use, and it provides a unique way to improve your mood. They have thousands of great images you can start coloring, and the designs are spectacular.

5. Sanvello

Sanvello is an app designed specifically for people who are overwhelmed and dealing with lots of anxiety or stress. The app will check in, and you can track your emotions over time. It’s very good when it comes to self-care since you can access a complete routine based on your needs. They added things like guided journeys, meditation, positive thoughts, goal setting and tips to create a sleep routine. All of these are very useful, and they are provided in a great, well-rounded app.

6. Othership

One of the best ways to relieve anxiety or stress is to optimize your breathing. Othership focuses specifically on guided breathwork. With this app, you have access to a plethora of guided breathwork sessions. They will help you regulate your nervous system while also decompressing and relieving pressure. They also integrate other things like affirmations, visualizations, sound healing, vocal toning, and mindful working.

Conclusion

If you find it difficult to relax and de-stress, then giving these Android apps a try, can be a great idea. These apps are designed from the ground up to help you get past any pressure, anxiety, or stress. They also give you the means to improve your mental health, control your breathwork while also creating healthy sleep and meditative routines.