For many of us wintertime is a mixed bag–months filled with a jumbled mixture of solemn introspection and exuberant celebration; as well as reflection on the past and resolutions for the future. During this darker, colder time, it’s also easy to slip into “winter blues” mode. Whatever the season brings, we want it to be filled with your desired mix of wonderment and nourishment, so today we offer up some of our favorite mindfulness, self-care, and healthy skin lifestyle practices to help you make that happen!
Here are 5 healthy skin lifestyle suggestions to warm up your self-care habits on even the coldest of days:
1. Look for everyday wonders to lift your spirit.
Do you have the winter blues? Is the shortage of daylight hours leaving you time-crunched and stressed? You might not be able to conjure more daylight or shift any real work off your plate, but making a conscious effort to appreciate ‘right now’ through the eyes of a child might brighten your mood.
Feed your senses and soak in the details. Slip on some fuzzy socks and wiggle your toes while you enjoy hot ginger tea and listen to the fireplace crackle. Crack open some skin-friendly raw nuts or a juicy pomegranate for a snack and marvel at their intricate design. Place a few drops each of cinnamon, sweet orange and clove essential oils in your diffuser and enjoy the baked cookie smell throughout your home.
2. Savor and simplify to feel true abundance.
Are you overwhelmed with options? We grant you permission to be a bit of a diva about what is on your plate and your vanity! Adopt an ‘If you don’t love it, leave it’ policy in both places. Scan the holiday buffet for foods you truly treasure and skip the everyday dishes that are available all year long. It is not your responsibility to sample everything on the table. Cherry pick a pretty plate and then slowly and mindfully savor every mouthful.
Likewise, resist the urge to retain the half-dozen bottles of lotions that clutter your cabinet and leave your space feeling less than pretty. Try slimming down your product line-up to the ones that truly demon- strate your desired results. Slow down your mirror time and steal some moments for a facial massage that makes you feel pampered. Need a reminder? Post a message or self- care mantra on your mirror for easy reference.
3. Set intentions for the New Year that serve you.
Has your New Year’s resolution list left you feeling inspired and focused—or frustrated and disappointed? The time-honored idea behind creating resolutions is that of hope. If you are settling for less, perhaps it is time for a fresh and personalized approach.
Do you love the resolutions ritual of writing your list each year? Great! Experts agree that those who commit to a formal list strategy are more likely to attain their goals than those who do not. Incorporate these tactics to increase your goal setting effectiveness. Here’s what we suggest:
- Keep it focused. Choose 1-3 items that are realistic yet expansive.
- Connect each item to your ‘why’—your deeper core values and driving passions.
- Write it down and be specific.
Prefer to skip the traditional list? No problem, you can create a ritual that is unique to you. Brainstorm different approaches like these to get you started:
- Make a list of ‘Don’ts’—behaviors and thoughts that no longer serve you. Write each one on a slip of paper and roast them like marshmallow in the fireplace to symbolically release them.
- Make a list of ‘Done’—a long and glorious list of all the things you have accomplished this year.
- Letting it all go with dance or even charades is always a fun approach with a
cleansing, emotion-releasing feel.
4. Practice the gentle art of saying ‘no’ to increase your focus.
Is your mental dialogue drowning in ‘shoulds,’ ‘coulds’ and ‘have-tos?’ Has people-pleasing seriously dampened your creative drive? It can be hard to say no to people because you don’t want to disap- point. But you owe to yourself to create limits.
Avoid taking on too many commitments or spreading yourself too thin so you can focus on your resolutions for the year without undue distraction. Value your time, be clear on your priorities, and say no politely, without apology or sense of obligatory explanation. Judicious use of ‘no’ can you make space for more ‘YES!’ in your life.
5. Take care of your hardworking hands and feet.
When was the last time you gave some of your hardest working skin some love? Cold toes and frigid fingers bring out the winter socks and mittens, but as your hands and feet go under wraps, they often grow increasingly in need of some TLC.
This is the perfect season to build in some simple yet meaningful skin pampering time into your routine. Invest in a divine hand cream and place the bottle next to the sink, the computer, or by your bedside so you can remember to use it often. A trip to the spa for a reflexology foot massage relaxes tense soles. Or schedule a Friday night in, and treat yourself to a foot scrub and soak with a scent that helps any old day feel like a holiday.
With a little thought and purposeful action, healthy skin lifestyle practices like these can transform quiet winter nights into pampering celebrations; and crowded celebrations into nourishing moments. Celebrating and self-care can be one in the same this season, helping you to shine your light all the way through to spring.
Do you want to learn how to support your clients with more healthy skin lifestyle practices like this?
We devote an entire month of curriculum specifically to healthy skin lifestyle practices in our Certified Nutritional Aesthetics Practitioner® (CNAP) Training Program. We also train you on how to help your clients implement these changes in their busy lives, so that they can follow your recommendations with greater ease. This makes for faster, and more sustainable results!
What a great post! Refreshing perspective on welcoming a New Year.
Thank you so much, Sarah!