What are you doing to take care of yourself this summer?

As the air is hot and arid this summer and you’re sweating up a storm. Take a few minutes to be good to yourself and find some time for you. Remember, you can’t take care of others, your parents, your children, let alone yourself if you don’t make time for yourself! Many people don’t realize this concept until it’s too late. So, I really encourage you over the next coming weeks to work on improving you!

1.Don’t overbook yourself:

Work on preventative scheduling, don’t overbook yourself. Look at your schedule and ensure you have some free time for yourself during the day. If you’re someone that works well with schedule and structure, then continue that; however, overbooking will only make you fatigue and keep you dragging. Learn to keep more time during the day open. Every “break” during the day you get, indulge it, appreciate it and be in the moment.

2.Self Care:

Take a little time to take care of yourself.  Get a massage, try a yoga class, get acupuncture or even reiki anything to help you relax. Maybe you enjoy reading or writing, even journaling. You need to make time for yourself so you can decompress, reflect and relax. Again, spending time with yourself, by yourself is crucial and important for you to function optimally.

3.Breath A little More:

Work on breathing exercises. Incorporate breathing exercise like Ujjai breathing to help you get through the day. Ujjai breathing is also known as the “victorious” breath or the “ocean” breath in yoga. It’s very calming for your nervous system. You can do this in the morning before you go to work, while you’re stuck in traffic, in between appointments and even before bed. Any time you’re stressed or feel overwhelmed give it a try. Take a long slow inhale breath through your nose counting to about 4, constrict your throat and exhale slowly through your nose make an ocean sound counting out to 4. Do this about 4 -5 times each time and you’ll already feel lighter.

4.Do what you love: 

Find a hobby you enjoy. Maybe, you’re artistic and have a talented outlet and you enjoy making jewelry or painting. Maybe you’re a marathon runner or an avid tennis player and you enjoy physical activity. Whatever brings you joy, do that! Some people don’t know what brings them joy; this is a great time to try new things and get out of your comfort zone and learn something different.

5.Love yourself a little more

I can’t stress this enough. You need to be happy with who you are, what you do and how far you have come. You are a special person and have a beautiful unique story to tell. Learn to love yourself whole hardheartedly, appreciate your life and be happy with what you have. When you come to terms with who you are you will be more peaceful.