Today I want to talk about caring for our physical health in specific and holistic ways. Because how we care for our bodies affects how we care for our minds which affects how we care for our souls. It’s all connected.
The topic of caring for our bodies might immediately conjure up thoughts of $100 an hour massages or weekly pedicures or shopping sprees, that’s not what I want to talk about at all.
Now those things can have their place, but it’s my mission to redefine caring for ourselves. So that it’s accessible and applicable for every mama, everywhere. So, in this article I’m going to share ten ways we can care for our souls in consistent, tangible, life-changing ways. That don’t cost a lot of money or take a lot of time.
Let’s dive in…
1.) Don’t overthink eating well.
This topic can feel so loaded. Full of do’s and don’ts. Diet trends and 30 day plans. It can feel so overwhelming that we never even take the first step, or we do and quit soon after.
I have been there. Believe me. I’m a foodie so I’m not into all the restrictive eating and crazy diets. I love to look at eating well as a lifestyle. Not a restriction or a “30 days and done,” but the way that I live most of the time.
Because: I only get one life and one body and I want to be here to watch my babies grow up and have babies. I want to live to the fullest, be vibrant and full of energy way past the typical prime. That’s my WHY.
So, the big lesson I’ve learned? Don’t over think it. Keep it super simple, basic, just like whole foods. A few ingredients. High quality. Put them together and you have an amazing meal that fuels your body and brings healing to every cell.
This is going to look different for everyone, but one great place to start is committing to make a daily green smoothie. I usually make mine in the morning, but sometimes if I don’t get to it then, I fit it in for an afternoon pick me up.
Don’t know which recipe to try? Start with this one, this one or this one. So delicious, so simple and a great way to get whole foods into your body on a daily basis.
Once you’ve got the daily green smoothie habit down, start working on something else. Commit to drinking a warm glass of water with fresh lemon juice first thing in the morning. Commit to incorporating veggies into every meal. Make ingredient swaps like: coconut oil, olive oil, grassfed butter or ghee in place of standard vegetable oil or margin. Swap raw honey, pure maple syrup or coconut sugar for granulated sugar. Swap whole fat, organic, grassfed dairy or clean non-dairy options for conventional dairy products.
One step at a time. One habit at a time. A little goes a long way.
PS This is one of my favorite ladies to follow (her blog and insta are amazing!) for inspiration when it comes to eating well as a lifestyle.
2.) Switch to non-toxic personal care products.
We can’t under estimate the impact products make on our health. Especially when we use so many as women, just in a single day.
Switching out our skincare and makeup products for non-toxic options can go a long way in reducing our exposure to so many hormone and health disrupting chemicals.
Where to start? Deodorant. I know what you’re thinking, but natural deodorant has come a long, long way. I use this brand and really want to try this brand. Also, read this article for great info on detoxing to get the most out of your natural deodorant.
Second: body lotion. Our skin is our biggest detox organ, let’s not suffocate it by slathering on chemicals. Switch it out for something completely natural like this oil or this body butter.
Third: skincare. The quality of my skin transformed so much when I traded in my conventional skincare products for non-toxic ones. Ones where I could read (and even eat!) every ingredient on the bottle. This is by far my favorite skincare company. This one is so amazing, too. I also love this one.
Fourth: makeup. This one can feel really overwhelming, especially if you’re used to a certain feel, result and quality in your makeup. And you shouldn’t have to sacrifice any of those while also putting non-toxic products on your skin. This is my favorite non-toxic makeup company. I also like this one and this one.
Fifth: hair care. This one was the hardest for me to switch out. Not going to lie. It’s really hard to find high quality, non-toxic hair care that actually works. But about a month ago, I came across this brand and I am sold. They don’t gum my hair up or weigh it down. They make my hair feel clean and fresh. But I also feel good about what I’m putting on my scalp. I love this, this and this product of theirs.
PS Check out this blog post for a full run down of all the skincare and makeup products I use on a daily basis.
3.) Grab a heatpack.
A heat – what???? Yes, a heatpack. But not just any heatpack. A non-toxic, 100% cotton, made with love heatpack. It’s something so simple that will change your life.
Because heat ministers to the deepest parts of who we are. Think about a warm bath or sunshine, a cozy blanket or a crackling fire on a chilly day. A heatpack is that little bit of healing heat you can take with you wherever you go, whenever you need it most.
- I warm mine for about 3 minutes in the microwave and tuck it into my covers to warm up the sheets while I’m getting ready for bed.
- I also use it to warm up in the middle of the day when I have a chill. I’ll put it over my feet when I’m sitting on the couch watching a show in the evening.
- I lay it over sore muscles when I need tension relief.
- I use it between my legs or over my lower abdomen for cramping and period discomfort.
- I use it across my chest for anxiety relief.
So many uses. Worth every penny. Go grab one – and pick a darling cover to go with it.
PS Lindsay- founder of Simply Handmade Heat – is a dear friend. She has a heart of gold. She also has a wonderful, thriving Insta page. Go follow her and give her some love!
4.) Move consistently.
This can feel like another loaded topic. Along with eating well, we tend to overthink movement. Get sucked into all the trends, the do’s and don’ts.
It doesn’t have to be a punishment or an attempt to “even out the scales.” We have to look at moving our bodies as a way we honor them, honor ourselves. As a way we care for ourselves on the deepest level.
And we don’t need to put qualifications on movement. Or subscribe to one way and one way only.
Movement can look like:
- a walk in the neighborhood with our kids
- a yoga flow before bed
- squats and pushups in the backyard while the kids play
- a 15 minute HIIT work out
- an hour at the gym if that’s what lights you up
- a pilates class in person or online
- dance cardio
- tennis
- swimming
So, let’s not overcomplicate it. Let’s not say it has to look one certain way. Let’s just move our bodies consistently. Because they’ve been so good to us and we want to be good to them.
PS If you need some inspo, here are a few of my favorite, free online workouts: HIIT, yoga and barre inspired.
5.) Find a doctor who is right for you.
This can be easier said than done. I know. But I also know that I’m the one who suffers most if I put off finding a good doctor. Now I go in for a well visit around 12 months postpartum after every baby. Even once we’re done having babies, I plan to go in every couple years to make sure that I am staying on top of my hormone health, my thyroid and any other issues that arise.
When we have nagging physical symptoms we can’t resolve, gosh, that can be so draining mentally and emotionally. I know it takes a lot of work to find a doctor and then go through all the appointments and procedures that may be needed. But it’s so worth it for our health, mama. Especially if we can be proactive and circumvent things from happening in the first place or at the very least from getting worst.
I wish I’d learned this lesson earlier. I might not have been diagnosed with borderline Hashimoto’s when I was pregnant with my third. Or had to wean my baby early so I could do intensive protocols for two major gut infections that were affecting my health. Take it from me.
PS I actually wrote a detailed blog post on this exact topic. You can check it out here. I cover how to find the right doctor, how to prep for your first appointment and several different tests you might want to ask for when you go.
6.) Optimize your sleep.
Whoo. I just keep hitting all these loaded topics, don’t I? Ha. I know sleep can be a touchy subject especially if you’re a mom of littles. Those early years are rough. And sleep is bound to be scarce or at the very least very disrupted. No doubt.
BUT. As a mom to three (almost four!), I’ve learned over the years several ways to optimize the sleep I do get. I’m not going to paint a picture of a 3 hour evening routine and 9 hours of sleeping bliss for you because I know that’s not reality. And would probably have you clicking away faster than I could say snooze.
Instead let me share with you bullet point style several ways to optimize the sleep you DO get. Whether it’s two hours or four or 7 hours broken into 30 minute increments.
- Wear blue light blocking glasses after sunset
- Drink 1/4 cup tart cherry juice in the afternoon (high in melatonin)
- Shut off all screens an hour before bed
- If you wake consistently around 2-3am try eating a small, protein heavy snack before bed (spoonful of almond butter)
- Use black out blinds and/or a sleep mask
- Keep your room cool
- Use ear plugs if you can or least white noise
- Go to bed and wake up at consistent times even on weekends
- Remember that the most important hours when it comes to sleep benefits are between 10pm-2am. If at all possible, aim to be asleep during that time
- As soon as you can after waking get into natural light or use a sunlight therapy lamp to reset your circadian rhythm
- Add in a magnesium supplement. I love to take 400mg of magnesium glycinate before bed or use the Natural Calm powder if I need to get my bowels moving.
PS Sometimes you do need help getting the baby to sleep. I wish I could go back and do so many things different with my second. I was exhausted and overwhelmed at the time. But this I know – I could never (or should say would never) live through another season like that without trying several things first. Like taking this course on baby sleep and consistent chiropractic care for baby. Just to name two.
7.) Make sure you’re hydrating.
I think hydration is one of the most underrated aspects of caring for ourselves. It’s simple, straight forward, but often over looked or even forgotten. But we can make it fun! And comforting! And healing! And a sprinkle of sweet pauses through out our day. It’s all in how we approach it.
I cannot get enough yummy, healing drinks. Of course, some good, filtered
water hits the spot most times. But I like to get a little creative and use my
drinks to not only stay hydrated, but sneak in some good fats, protein and
healing herbs whenever possible.
Above and beyond my 8 glasses of filtered water, I drink 2-3 healing drinks
a day. I love a good, organic coffee, but I try to stay super light on the
caffeine. Sometimes I make this dandelion tea. Or a golden milk latte. Or
some of my favorite mushroom coffee. Any and all of these can be served
piping hot or iced. You can also check out my Instagram highlights where I
share all my favorite coffee substitutions.
PS I have two great resources for you on this topic:
1.) I put together a video with all of my hydration tips in one place.
2.) I put together a FREE guide with all my favorite drink recipes: Grab my Healthy + Healing Warm Drink Guide here.
8.) Take a regular detox bath.
Incorporating a detox bath into my self-care routine is one of my favorite
things to do. I take one 2-3 times per week. It’s calming, healing and
relaxing. A good detox bath is just what the doctor ordered any time of year, but especially when our detox and immune systems need that extra boost.
Here’s a post I wrote with my favorite detox bath recipe, plus the one thing
you can do to maximize the benefits of your detox bath (bonus: it doesn’t
cost much or take much time).
PS Detox in general is so important. And something our body is doing on a daily basis whether we realize it or not. But if we can jump in and support it in its natural processes, so much the better. Other ways to do this?
- Infrared sauna
- Sweating it out through movement
- Dry brushing
- Staying hydrated with lemon water or dandelion root tea
- Lessoning the burden on our livers by cutting down on caffeine, alcohol and sugar consumption.
9.) Add in Some Supplements
My number one priority is always to focus on eating whole foods that
support my body and my health in all the ways. But when and where I need
some extra support, I like to have these supplements on hand:
- A good Multi-Vitamin. I love and use Megafood’s Mama and Baby 2 prenatal. But anything by MaryRuth’s Organics is excellent, too.
- Collagen. I add this right into my daily smoothie.
- Zinc. Proper zinc levels help support the immune system, skin health and so many other processes in the body.
- Vitamin D3 drops. To help keep my levels optimal when I can’t get as much sun (I usually supplement October – April). If you’re not sure what your Vitamin D Levels are, have your preferred practitioner check them.
- A methylated B-Complex. I take this only in the morning otherwise it can tend to disrupt my sleep.
- Magnesium. I take 400mg of magnesium glycinate every night before bed.
- Elderberry. The QUEEN of preventative measures. Especially in the cooler months. You can even make your own. Here’s the recipe I use.
10.) Create Your Own Self-Care Routine
Grab a piece of paper and a pen. Don’t worry – this is going to be fun!
Make three sections: Morning, Mid-Day and Evening.
Write down: the time you usually wake up and then list the things that help you start the day off right.
Do the same for Mid-Day: the time you usually eat lunch and the things that
give you a little pick-me-up (if you’re a mom, you can focus this middle
section around nap time like I do).
Do the same thing for the Evening section. Now you’re done. This is the outline for your self-care routine.
Take it for a spin tomorrow and see how it goes. It will take a little trial and
error, but you’ll figure out a routine that works for you. Yoiu might always do everything on your list every day. It might shift and change with the seasons. But you’ll have a framework to use, to refer to, to make sure you are caring for yourself in consistent, tangible, life-changing ways.
Here’s an example of my morning self-care routine to get you started:
- Wake up at 7am
- Do my skin care routine
- Drink a glass of water
- Spend a few minutes in the Word + prayer
- Get dressed
- Do my hair + makeup
- Make my bed and tidy my room + bathroom
- Drink a green smoothie + eat a high protein/high fiber breakfast
- Do the most important thing on my to do list
PS I wrote a full blog post on creating your own self-care rhythms. Check it out here!
This list is by no means exhaustive. Have anything to add? Let me know in the comments!
Aslo, have any questions for me? Leave them in the comments, too, and I’ll be happy to answer! You’ve got this, mama. Never fear! One breath, one step, one day at a time.
For more self-care goodness, come join me on Instagram.
Or check out my podcast The Self-Care Sessions.
If you haven’t joined my email list yet, that’s a great place to find more of the same.
For more self-care goodness, come join me on Instagram. And if you haven’t joined my email list yet, that’s a great place to find more of the same. Check out the side bar (or scroll all the way down if you’re on mobile) to view all the freebies I’ve created just with you in mind. I hope you find something helpful.
Let’s care for ourselves,
Hannah
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Everything health + wellness I share here is based on my own personal experience and research. Be your own advocate, mama. Search, ask, dig. Research and find the answers you need. You are worth it.