HEALTH AND WELLNESS TIPS Self-care

Ways to practice self care

It’s essential not to get caught up in what the wellness industry (or anyone else)thinks self-care should be for YOU because it’s a unique and personal journey.

Self-care routine can result in:

Improved mood

Reduced anxiety or stress

Improved relationship with yourself

Improved relationships with others

Better physical and mental health

Mental clarity & increased energy levels

More joy and fulfillment

If your self-care routine feels forced or involves doing things you don’t like, then it’s time to try something else.

Self-care is meant to be enjoyable, not something you dread, so choose something you enjoy.

Decide which one or two self-care routines you want to incorporate in the next few days.

Mindfulness

Being mindful means tuning into your thoughts and emotions and making decisions based on logic AND intuition Your gut has neurological pathways, so when you get ‘that gut feeling,’ it’s usually because your body is trying to tell you something. When you listen to yourself and become more aware of your surroundings, it’s easier for you to feel more in touch with your life and the world that surrounds you.

Movement

Movement is good for the body, mind, and soul. Finding an exercise routine that’s right for you is the key to making it last.

Here are some great ways to start moving your body that doesn’t necessarily involve going to the gym for an hour every day:

Walking for 20 - 30 minutes

Dancing or kickboxing

Yoga or Pilates

Swimming

Strength training

Nature

Spending time in nature has been shown to help with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Finding activities outside can be a wonderful form of self-care. (2) Spending a reasonable amount of time outdoors can help with seasonal affective disorder and help to prevent Vitamin D deficiency.

Some amazing outdoor activities that you can do to improve your mood include:

Nature walks

Biking & hiking

Swimming

Going to the beach

Gardening

Spending time with your family outside (picnics, rock collecting, outdoor craft activities)

BREATHWORK & MEDITATION

Meditation and controlled breathwork are essentially exercises that teach you to control your breathing rate to bring more awareness to your breath and create a sense of calm. This can be done while in meditation or throughout the day in 5 minutes to an hour of deep, rhythmic breathing techniques.

The benefits of doing meditation and mindful breathwork are vast! Many people report more clarity, reduced stress levels, increased alertness, and a boost to the immune system.

Apps such as Headspace, Calm, or Buddhify can help guide you on your meditative journey.

FOUR TOOLS TO FEEL 100% LOVED THIS VALENTINE’S DAY

Well, here we are in February The LOVE month The time when the world goes a little crazy with hearts, flowers, chocolates, date nights, wedding proposals, and on and on. And I’ll be honest, I pretty much ignore all of it. This is an article about love. Not the romantic kind of love. This article is about the love that lives inside each of us. The love we do (or don’t) have for ourselves. Yes, I’m talking about self-love. And when you read that, you may think, nah this article isn’t for me And I ask you to stick with me for a moment What I have to share just may apply to you, even when love is all around you, coming from lots of different directions

I’ve never had a romantic relationship where I felt 100% accepted and loved for who I am This story isn’t about that though I did have that kind of love from one person (and that is a complete blessing for which I am grateful) My mother loved me with 100% acceptance She may not have always approved of my life and my decisions, yet I knew that without a doubt, she loved me.

She loved me deeply and completely and even when I disappointed her, she was there loving me Even when I said something hurtful, she was there loving me. And I’ll be honest, when she passed away, this is the thing I missed the most. Yes, I missed her laugh and her wise words. I missed our conversations and our trips to the beach, and more. And still, the one thing I grieved for and felt the loss of the most was her love. That unconditional, all-encompassing, never wavering love.

And missing that, left me feeling lost and alone and so, so vulnerable to the vagaries of life I didn’t have anyone else to turn to With no romantic partner in sight, there seemed no hope of filling that void I turned to my siblings and friends, and I know they love me

And it’s also not the same

After several months of grieving, I decided that there was only one thing to do. I had to give myself the love I needed. I had to fill those holes inside with love for myself. After all, I 100% believe that we each have inside us all that we need for life. And that means that I have enough love inside of me to love myself the way I need.

And with that, I set out on a quest to start filling up that hole inside I wanted to fill it with so much love that it would spill out and overflow all around me Here are a few of the things that I did

I wrote a love note to myself every single day. I wrote things that my mom used to say to me “Sherry, I love you more than all the trees in West Virginia”. Or, “Sherry, I love you to the moon and back again”. Sometimes, I just wrote silly things like. “Sherry, I love that you love cats so much”. Or, “Sherry, I love your soft belly.” It didn’t matter what I wrote as long as it was a message of love

I’ll be honest, it took a while – there finally came a point when I started feeling loved I started looking forward to those love notes, just like I had looked forward to the love texts from my mom

I gave myself hugs and touch One of the most important components to love is physical touch. I’m not talking about sexual touch, but rather, touch that gives love, kindness, and gentleness.

Studies show that touch can release oxytocin, the feelgood hormone. This is one of the reasons why touch is such an important part of the human experience. While a hug from someone you love really can’t be replaced by hugging yourself, you can still receive benefits from your own loving touch One of the ways I show myself love through touching is to place my hands over my heart, close my eyes and whisper “Sherry, you are loved and you are supported” Another practice I have is to place my hands on my belly or chest and imagine that I’m sending love and light straight into my torso I envision it I feel the warmth of my hands and see that as loving energy

I looked at myself in the mirror, made eye contact, and said I love you – out loud. This one can feel super uncomfortable. And it is required. Eye contact gives an added layer of depth to the love message. It helps connect you to yourself so that you can receive the message on a different level. Writing love notes is one thing. When you speak them and see love at the same time, well that is a whole new ballgame. This one may be difficult Especially if you don’t have much selflove, to begin with And it is totally possible If you do it, I promise, it will get easier

I opened myself to Universal love. This one may sound even cornier than the others. I believe that human beings are all connected. I’m able to send loving energy to someone else in the room with me, or I can send it all around the world I know there are people in this world, who send love out to the universe every day And I can tap into that I can receive that

For me, that practice looks like a light beaming down on the crown of my head I do a grounding practice where I sit comfortably in a chair, feet on the ground, feeling the chair support me Then, I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths Lastly, I imagine a beautiful, white, light of love shining down on my head and getting absorbed slowly It flows from the crown of my head all the way down to the ground Flowing right through my brain, my chest, my heart space, my abdomen Through my arms and legs too It touches all of me with love and acceptance. You might be a human who feels loved and never feels a lack of it. Or, you might be like me and don’t quite get enough love from external sources. No matter who you are, I think you’ll find that one or all of these practices will serve you. Give yourself the gift of love this February.

Sherry Parks, CPA, is a Life & Money Mindset Coach who helps women escape feeling trapped by their finances. She is passionate about helping women change their mindsets, emotions, and actions regarding money so that they learn to keep what they have and generate more. Check out her 5 Steps to a Better Money Story workbook or join her women-only Facebook group More Than Enough Money Sisterhood.

Written By Linda Watson

Since February is typically the month that we associate with all things related to love and romance, it is only fitting that this month’s article is dedicated to the planet of love and beauty in all of her forms – Venus.

Venus is the planetary ruler of both Taurus and Libra Venus represents the core essence of the feminine The Goddess of Love and Beauty In her earlier origins, she was worshipped as a nature goddess and mother of all ongoing creation. She is the embodiment of grace, harmony, and beauty, cultivating these attributes through the arts and through her diplomacy and charm. She symbolizes how we attract the things that we love and value, and through her energy, we determine the things we appreciate. Venus expresses what makes us feel good and is inspired when we are in partnership and romantic situations

The human impulse is to connect with others, and Venus is the planet that helps us form relationships Her primary function is love in all its forms But make no mistake, she is also a rejecting planet, having no problem discriminating with whom she forms attachments and who she doesn’t. This is the goddess who taught the lessons of sexuality, desire, and the affection we arouse in others, as well as sorrow, loss, and rejection in love

In the birth chart, wherever Venus is located, can indicate how we attract the people and things that we love and value, as well as our aesthetic tastes It shows where we anchor our values

Since Venus rules both Taurus and Libra, this means this planet also rules 2 different houses in the zodiac. The 2nd house is home to Taurus, and the 7th house is home to Libra The 2nd house is the House of Self-Worth It represents our financial and psychological resources It rules our personal money, resources, possessions, and personal values It shows our self-esteem or lack of, and the things that we find of value

The 7th house is known as the House of Relationships It rules marriage, partnerships (both personal and business), cooperation, and our open enemies It represents pretty much all significant one-to-one relationships which could include those such as therapist/client, attorney/client, or business partners It is also about learning how to strike a balance, learn diplomacy, and learn how to collaborate with others

Venus transits into the sign of Pisces the day after Valentine’s Day on February 15th.

Venus is in her exaltation in this compassionate and dreamy water sign. This is an especially lovely placement for Venus. When we say that a planet is exalted in a sign, what we are saying is that the planet, in this case, Venus, feels comfortable and welcomed in this sign It's an easy fit and creates an atmosphere where the signs foster the expression of the planets A comfortable and easy expression of sensuality and beauty is experienced when Venus is in Pisces Pisces' romantic and sensitive ways foster Venus' need for beauty and sensuality

Leaving the sign of Aquarius and moving into Pisces provides a softening of the Venus energy, however, Venus loses some of her more independent attitudes about love In Aquarius, this Venusian energy was more free-spirited, open-minded, and romantic interests were piqued by more intellectual communication with an unexpected or unusual person

Venus in Pisces is very dreamy and romantic. Just be aware that this combination can fog up your judgment when you are looking at someone special. It is so easy to believe in love at first sight, so take things slow and make sure you are not falling in love with an illusion or what you want this person to be. But being idealistic is also a good thing and allows you to experience love in its most clear and deep form.

Aside from romance, Venus in Pisces can provide an amazingly vivid and creative imagination that seems almost otherworldly If you are an artist or any type of creative, this time period could be the beginning of something special

In fact, Venus is in conjunction aspect with Neptune at this time as well Neptune is the ruling planet of Pisces which makes this connection even more special in terms of creativity and imagination If you are an artist, you could find yourself channeling your inner visions into your work very easily Your senses, inspiration, and intuition will also be heightened during this time Within your personal relationships, you feel drawn to making even deeper connections

All in all, during this transit, take advantage of and keep your eyes open for new romantic encounters, strengthen meaningful friendships, look for ways to connect to all things beautiful, trust your inspiration and creative urges, learn to find your own value and self-worth, and be your most harmonious and generous self

Since Venus helps to define our relationship with others, and also with the beautiful things in life, let’s take a look at what each zodiac sign can expect from transiting Venus during this time period.