Use this time of slowing down to focus on self-care
*This post contains affiliate links. Meaning that, at no cost to you, I earn a small commission if you make a purchase. This has in no way shaped my opinion and is not sponsored by the author or seller.
Instead of focusing on what we can't do right now because of COVID-19, let’s use this time to remember the importance of slowing down and self-care.
I get it. Times are tough right now for all of us. None of us can deny that. But what we also cannot deny is that our lifestyle, as a society, has put drastic pressure on the planet and on ourselves, mentally and physically. Instead of being upset that your life was forcibly altered, consider the things that you now have more time for because you are home.
Do you have more time with your family? Do you get to work from home? Do you have more time to cook dinner now? What are you now able to do that you couldn’t do with your hectic schedule? Do you have more time to focus on your goals?
In this time of slowing down, what can you do to create healthy new habits that you can carry with you when life returns to “normal”?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Read more self-help and personal development books
- Use this time to build your skills, learn new skills, or figure out what you really want for your life. Have you been working towards your goals? Were you recently laid off because of COVID-19? Use this time to really hone in on what you want your life to look like and then figure out what you need to get you there. What if you can come out of this with the skills you need to start working in the industry that you really want? Life, as we know it, is changing. You are not helpless, and you decide how your life turns out. Make sure you focus on the changes you want to see in your life. And remember, you can learn almost anything online.
- Start a daily meditation practice
- 5 to 10 minutes a day is fine. It’s just time for you to stop, breathe, and recenter yourself. And if you don’t have to get ready for work or drop the kids off at school, you have the time.
- Wake up at your regular time and use that time to focus on your goals
- Let the rest of the house sleep in and use this time to focus on your goals. We both know that once everyone else wakes up your focus is all about taking care of them. So start your day by taking care of you.
- Cook healthy meals
- You’ve been wanting to eat healthier but your schedule was insane and you just couldn’t find the time or energy to cook. I get it, that’s been me for the past few years. I am now using this time to get back into cooking dinner and it feels great. I know what is going into my food, and I get to save money. Now it’s your turn.
- Learn new recipes
- If you’re like me, you love learning new recipes and making them for your loved ones. This is a great time to do that. Find a few recipes on Pinterest and get started. It’s so much fun and you just might find some new recipes that you can keep on rotation.
- Start meal prepping/ batch cooking
- Now this is a habit that will benefit you when life does return to normal and you have to go to the office, your kids have to go to school, and you have after school activities and homework. Spending a few hours on Sunday batch cooking saves you so much time during the week. I normally spend a couple hours prepping my lunches and snacks for the week so it’s always a no brainer when I’m heading out the door. And it prevents me from grabbing fast food or something equally unhealthy for lunch.
- Exercise
- Find some exercise videos and start moving your body at home. You can also use this time to get some fresh air and get out of the house for a few minutes. Go for a walk and run, ride your bike, or rollerblade (yes, I still see people doing that from time to time).
You can also check out any of my blog posts from February, which was deemed as Self-care month at Coffee.Yoga.Life. We focused on the importance of self-care, self-care strategies, and why slowing down is a good thing. Check out How to take care of yourself without neglecting your loved ones and What is your self-care plan? for more information and some helpful tips and tricks.
There is something that I just learned about and couldn’t wait to share with you, it’s called the Self-Care Mini Bundle from Ultimate Bundles. I have been struggling with making self-care a priority over the past few weeks and really starting to feel the effects of the stress. I received an email and decided to check out the product offer. I felt like I had been heard by the angels when I started reading everything that was included in this bundle.
So far my favorite is the Literary Medicine Cabinet. If you love to read like I do then you will absolutely love this list. The books listed are feel-good books. Not all are self-help books, some of them are books that may have been childhood favorites and will bring you a sense of nostalgia. Some are self-help books that will give you tips to help you work through whatever stress you are going through right now. When you feel the need to escape, grab this list of books to find your next read.
One of my other favorite products in this bundle is The Busy Life Diet. This book helps you create a healthy meal plan and exercise routine that fits you and your crazy busy schedule. It even discusses guilt-free holiday eating and how to get back on track after the holidays. Being completely honest, this is something that I struggle with horribly. It normally takes me a month or 2 to finally get back on track with my diet. I can’t be the only one with this problem. Right?
And to top it off, this bundle has a cheat sheet that tells you the purpose of each product, each product’s highlights, and gives you an overview of what you get from each. Who doesn’t want a cheat sheet to help them know where to find exactly what they are looking for?
There are many other products included in this bundle that I haven’t had a chance to check out yet but I definitely will. Next on my list is the Women’s Health Masterclass.
Just so that you can see why I’m so excited to share this bundle, here is what you get in the Self-care Mini Bundle:
- Clear Skin Secrets: 12 Steps to Clear Skin, Naturally by Amie Skilton (eBook) $30.00
- A 12-Step Blueprint to heal your acne once and for all, naturally.
Includes five Healthy Moving classes packed with unique exercises and flows to help you feel amazing in your body today and for decades to come.
This class and workbook will give you the routine you need to make self-care a daily priority.
This workbook adapts to whatever season of life you're in, to help you remember to take care of yourself and develop daily practices that will nourish and sustain you.
Make beautiful nourishing products for your skin with all natural ingredients picked from the garden.
A 20 piece capsule wardrobe program that gives you all the tools you need to build a fashionable, functional wardrobe that works for your everyday life.
Features 24 pages of ideas, affirmations, tools and techniques to help you design your personal self-care routine.
Designed to help you lose weight in a healthy way and a reasonable amount of time, and to make the very best use of the time and energy you devote to healthy eating and weight loss.
Walks you through each step of creating the perfect list of comfort reads for your self-care.
Contains the Women's Health eBook plus 10 masterclass videos.
So, of course, adding up the total value ($231) of this bundle may scare you, it did the same to me. But the best part about this whole thing is the amazing deal that you get. Seriously, my wallet jumped out of my purse and into my lap when I saw the bundle price (ok, maybe not seriously but it would have if it could). This entire bundle is only $11.97. I will give you a minute to compose yourself. But you see my point, right? That is why I had to jump on the deal and get it ASAP. The bundle deal is only available until April 15, 2020. Do not miss this absolutely amazing package deal. Especially now that we have the time to slow down and refocus on our self-care. The importance of slowing down and finding time for self-care is evident when you consider the fact that a package like this even exists.
Check out the Self Care Mini Bundle here:
Be sure to let me know in the comments below what you think of the products and which one is your favorite. And remember to share this with anyone who is also stressed out right now and could use a boost. Let’s help each other get back on track.
I can’t wait to hear how much this helps you focus on you :)
Stay safe everyone!!!