I’m not one to look backward and dwell on things, but the self care practices of the day were born of a look back to the last two years with a healthy dose of compassion.

When this New Year rolled around I remember looking at all the 2022 Feng Shui Themes of building, growth and thriving and thinking “OK, I’m ready to be reborn is so many ways…!”

That rebirth begins with a lot of self-care. Easy stuff. Fun stuff. Effective stuff. Accessible stuff.

Today, I thought I’d share my favorite practices that are a big part of my life in 2022 for reasons of beautification, renewal, refreshing, rebuilding from the inside out and even just pure enjoyment, which is just excellent.

Truly, if you don’t enjoy any of the “self-care” you’re doing, you may want to reconsider what you’re doing. If it isn’t vital, it could be time to make a powerful switch! Forcing yourself to do things that are “good for you” definitely isn’t the path of least resistance, and I find these things have historically brought me very little reward no matter how “good” they were supposed to be!

With your personal joy as your own North Star, you’ll find the best self care for you at the moment.

Here are some of my self care practices of the moment, and I hope they might inspire you to choose your own best new shifts. 

First thing: water. A lot of it.  I can’t tell you the number of headaches, muscle aches and even insomnia I have had in the distant and not-so-distant past that went away when I started drinking around 2 liters of water a day. I am not mathematical about it, but I now understand for myself that if I wait until I am thirsty, I am already verging on dehydration.

You may not need that much water, or you may need more. My friends that never used to drink water that became water-drinkers after hitting a wall of stress have never turned back, and I am no longer counting my herbal tea as water, a little trick I used to do when I was not drinking a lot of water and was chronically dehydrated and wondering why.

One other great hydration tip I learned from Dr. Murad of Murad Skincare acclaim is to eat a lot more hydrating food. It doesn’t even have to be all raw, but raw is great when you’re eating lots of fruit, especially.

Sleep.  There’s literally nothing that takes the place of sleeping enough, and sleeping deeply. If I find myself waking up to hit snooze after 8 hours, I know I’m in need of a big sleep upgrade. THESE reasons to sleep much more are very compelling, as sleep affects everything from our mental, physical and even energetic wellbeing.

Small beauty tools.  needed an update of my razor. My legs had enough of drugstore razors, and they were actually more expensive than this epic Billie razor. I’ve been overwhelmed with the ads for this razor for a solid two years before breaking down and buying it. Don’t ask me why I waited! If anything from your hairbrush to your nail file isn’t doing the job, there are inexpensive alternatives. These mini-investments pay off in big ways. Every time I make a tiny upgrade I’m reminded that small choices can have epic results.

A big beauty investment.  Is there something beautifying that’s a bigger purchase that you’ve been putting off? I really put off my NuFace purchase 4 years too long. It’s amazing, and I think I’ll do a before and after post soon to see the difference it’s made in my skin, as this micro-current device has made it feel so much more “alive” in every way.  I’m not going to link to it here because I think I’ll do a full review after a dedicated three months of 5 days a week use as recommended, but I can tell you I saw a huge difference from Day 1.

Bouncing.  I’m big on rebounding- bouncing on a mini trampoline at home.  You might be big on walks, stretching, running, swimming, dancing or something else. Do a lot of that thing, whatever it is. After a several month hiatus from regular daily bouncing on my trampoline I feel like a brand new person as I started coming back to it again.

Writing this blog again. Having the blog in its whole new form is beyond thrilling. This update gave me my daily writing passion back, so if you haven’t been following along for a while, so so so much is coming this year and it fills me with so much joy!  If you have any hobbies, daily journal writing, art-making or even your morning makeup or hair routine that’s fallen away lately, it’s self care to bring that creative joy back to your life.

New vitamins. I need liquid vitamins.  I just got liposomal liquid vitamins. Wow. In the past, even basic multivitamins have rocked my world, but I now really need liquid as pills aren’t cutting it. Ask your doctor what you might need and do even the smallest basics to fill in gaps in your daily diet and nutritional needs.

Eating a whole lot more and more frequently!  Honestly, it’s the biggest thing I can do for myself- eating more often, eating more variety, eating more delicious stuff. I have a lot of muscle to regain, and a lot of energy is needed to do what I do mentally. I already do eat a lot but it’s time to more consciously eat even more.

For those of you who don’t know, I’m prescribed to a brilliant autoimmune diet that saved my life after massive health crisis– the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.  Grains, soy, sugar and other additives are not a part of my life, and haven’t been for 15+ years. That said, I have to consciously eat a lot. And, my friends with severe burnout and adrenal fatigue learned the same for themselves– eating frequently can be epic self-care, especially when you’re focused on lots of food that’s dense in nutrients.

Chopped salads inspired by Baked by Melissa’s tiktok Green Goddess— you have to check this out, I’m doing the dressing without the Nutritional Yeast) — are top on my list of snacks.  I made this almond-flour Banana Bread last night with a cup of chopped dates added and it’s nearly gone, but making another tomorrow!  Cooking is a big creative catalyst for me so I’m embracing this project with joy!

Hair superchargers. My hair took a hit in the last two years.  Since hair is an extension of your crown chakra (more HERE on the crown chakra) , the energy center that connects you with the highest vibrations along with your scalp, caring for your scalp and hair can have an overall boosting effect on your life.

I just ordered three months worth of a very strong hair serum full of herbs for scalp and hair and then I’ll return to a DIY favorite– my castor oil hair growth potion. 

Spiritual practice. Early, focused, present, blissful.  Waking up to spiritual practice and going to bed after more of it is a constant in my life every single day– but the quality of that practice can vary wildly. It’s easy to get distracted, to put it off, to be less focused, to be wishy-washy… and that attitude is reflected, ultimately, in my life.

Whether you meditate, pray, spend time in Nature or do anything else you consider spiritual, deep self care is often deep energetic recharging. Commit on a profound level and you’ll see the results in your life!

I’m really leaning into all of this and more in pursuit of that one key factor– JOY.

No matter what you decide to do for you, choose happiness. Choose wellbeing. Choose yourself.

You’ll always reap the rewards!

xoxo

Dana

P.S.: This season, there’s an eight-week online Feng Shui Camp coming soon to organize and energize your home and life to create breakthroughs: The Breakthrough Camp! 

It’s Feng Shui to align your energy (your chakras) and your home so that you can manifest more of what you want on a higher level with greater ease!

If you’re ready for breakthroughs, they’re ready for you!

You can start the FREE Breakthrough Camp Videos HERE to set up your home to make breakthroughs as soon as they begin! 

xoxo!!!