“The most powerful relationship you will ever have is the relationship with yourself.”

— Diane Von Furstenberg

Taking care of yourself is vital to your mental, physical, spiritual and emotional health. In this crazy stress filled world, it is easy to get run down and feel like you’re chasing life instead of living in the moment, being present and taking necessary time for yourself.

- My 7 Self-Care Essentials -

THE COMFY

I am ALWAYS cold and bundled up in multiple layers in order to stay warm. This past Christmas, my parents surprised my sister and I with these amazing inventions (almost upset I didn’t come up with this idea myself). It is literally a blanket hoodie and I couldn’t love it more; no matter how much I look like a pink marshmallow. On a cold night, it’s so nice to wrap yourself up catch up on TV shows, watch a movie or simply spend time with family. It is the coziest and comfiest item I have ever come across and practically live in it at night.

ESSENTIAL OILS

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I have been hooked on essential oils for years. It wasn’t until a few months ago where I really immersed myself into the oily world of Dōterra and really learned about different oils, the uses for each and how there are limitless options when it comes to aiding in your health and wellbeing. My family and I have been trying to go as natural and organic as possible since not only do we deal with health issues but it is so much better for your body. Who wants to put nasty chemicals into your body that you can’t even pronounce?! After having friends raving about Dōterra and telling me all the benefits and seeing countless recipes on Instagram, I was hooked and signed up right away. I get 25% off wholesale and there are so many promos to get free oils and even learning modules to teach you about the essential oil world! I use essential oils to help fight getting sick, uplift my mood, fight headaches and other body aches as well as treating acne! You can check out my must have essential oils in this post here.

YOGA MAT

Yoga has been a huge aspect of my self care routine. I find it so relaxing and instead of a crazy high intensity workout, you are slowly moving your body and stretching. Even though it may seem more “delicate” let me tell you, it is a workout. Yoga really allows you the freedom to work with your body and do what feels right for you. Breathing techniques also work well with the different yoga positions and helps you to relax and get your body moving while calming your mind. The key to starting and creating a routine is patience! My sister got me this extra thick yoga mat from Gaiam that I am OBSESSED with. If you suffer from achey or weak knees or joints, an extra thick mat like this will be a game changer!

HEATED BLANKET

Heated blankets are one of the best inventions; at least in my mind. Like I said earlier, I am always cold so a heated blanket not only keeps me warm but I have seen an improvement with my sleep. I find I sleep deeper with a heated blanket than without it. Sleep is so vital to your well-being and any way you can help that is a win in my book!

CARING CRATE BOX

Caring Crate is “a unique, monthly subscription box service for those dealing with mental health issues, chronic illnesses - or anyone who needs a little extra self-care.”

As some of you may know I have been dealing with chronic illness for almost half my life. I have also experienced anxiety and depression over the years and work on bettering myself physically and mentally everyday. I received an email from Janelle from Caring Crate asking if I wanted to share this amazing box with my audience and I immediately was on board! I know so many people who deal with chronic illness, anxiety and depression as well and I think this is such an amazing idea to not only treat yourself but share the love with others and gift it to a friend who may need a little pick me up.

When I received my box, I was so excited to use the products and the items I received are incredible. I received a tea steeper, Mulled Cider tea, a roll on perfume to help ground myself (again the magic of aromatherapy), a reflections notepad and a Vanilla Chai sugar scrub (which is my favorite because not only does it work but it smells absolutely incredible, just like a Dunkin Donuts Vanilla Chai Latte!)

Janelle was kind enough to give me a coupon code for my audience!

Get 20% off your first order with code CALIJAE20

HEADSPACE

Meditation has been a vital aspect in my self care routine and I try to do it everyday. We are all constantly on our phones, engulfed in other people’s lives, the news, and social media. I have come to find that the less time I spend on social media, the happier I am and the more positive my mindset is. Instead of scrolling through instagram, take some time to meditate. It’s a learning curve and takes a lot of patience but it really helps you to be more mindful, calm your mind, and help with anxiety. People are so afraid to be by themselves in silence and away from their phones, but that is where you find out so much about yourself and how you can work to achieve what you want in life. Headspace has been a current favorite of mine as they have an array of different meditations for different areas you’d like to focus on! Just 5 minutes a day could help you have a clearer mindset for your day ahead. As mentioned in a previous blog post here, my sweet friend Stella wrote about creating the best meditation space. Definitely a must read!

JOURNALING + PRACTICING GRATITUDE

Since being in the planner world for a few years, bullet journaling and practicing gratitude has really been at the forefront lately. I have always had some form of a journal ever since I was little and found peace of mind by writing out my thoughts and ideas. Getting what’s in your head out on paper can be a huge stress reliever. Like I always say, if I don’t write it down it doesn’t happen because it will get lost amongst the millions of other thoughts and ideas in my mind. I put journaling and gratitude together because I keep a gratitude log in my journal/planner. No matter how crappy a situation may be there is always a silver lining no matter how small. Being grateful for the littlest things like breathing, walking, having a supportive family, etc. really makes a difference and your outlook on life can really change in a positive way.