hey guys ~
welcome back
since you guys loved the first self-care video..
I thought I'd make another one with brand new points that dive a little deeper
into a lot of different topics I didn't really get to touch upon
and let's just.. let's get started
this video is sponsored by Pilgrim Collection
they make beautiful and smart wellness devices
and they are rooted in the ethos
that when you change your environment you change your behavior
which is the perfect segway into the first point of
how to incorporate more self care and wellness into your daily life
clear your surroundings to achieve inner peace
our home is more often than not a mirror of our emotional state
I've been really stressed with work lately
~ can you tell? ~
we tend to fill our surroundings with a kind of clutter we carry inside
so it's important to detox and declutter our environment
every couple of months or weeks
I aim for every Sunday
it doesn't always happen.. but I try
by clearing our surroundings we're making more room for...
inner stillness, peace, creativity, and productivity
so make your bed every morning
spend 5 minutes tidying up before going to bed
so that everything is in order when you wake up the next morning
and make time for a deep detox every couple of months
fill your space with things that inspire you
be it what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel
from what you stock in your pantry to the tunes you choose to jam out to
quoting 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up'
"the question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life"
"keep only things that speak to your heart"
"then take the plunge and discard all the rest"
"by doing this, you can reset your life and embark on a new lifestyle"
I've been filling my apartment with things that inspire me
and remind me of who I am and what I value
No-Face from Spirited Away reminds me that what I see in others
be it good or bad.. is a reflection in what I see in myself
and the White Rabbit reminds me to value time and to be more punctual
and this is the night sky of the most important day of my life
so fill your space with meaningful things
and add more pleasant smelling things to your life
sounds kind of silly..
but do not underestimate your sense of smell ~ young Padawan
light a candle
look into the benefits of different types of essential oils
and invest in a quality diffuser
though research on the effectiveness of aromatherapy is limited
studies have shown that it does relieve stress, anxiety, and depression
improves quality of life and improves sleep
I just started using Zoe this week
this glorious diffuser/humidifier/ ambient light hybrid magic
and I already feel less like this
and more like this
now that our space is in order..
let's get our day started and wake up a little earlier
even if it's just 15 minutes to make yourself coffee or tea
so you're not perpetually rushed
have something to look forward to
for me it's making a cup of matcha or turmeric latte
if you've been struggling to wake up earlier as I have
maybe this quote by Marcus Aurelius would help
"you don't love yourself enough, or you'd love your nature too, and what it demands of you"
our nature, Marcus Aurelius insists, is to live a life of service -- to help others and contribute to the world
any resistance to this inherent purpose
is therefore a negation of our nature and a failure of self-love
so what I got out of this is..
if I love myself I will no longer snooze
next, make time for skincare
wash your face when you wake up and before you go to bed
make time for clay masks and sheet masks
I've been loving this tea tree clay mask by The Body Shop
take time to figure out which products work best for you
and be mindful of what you put on your skin
by getting in the habit of reading the labels
and knowing which ingredients should be avoided
a fresh clean face is an indication that everything inside your body is in harmony
doesn't hurt that it can boost your confidence as well
but you should be confident already cause you beautiful just the way you are
here's the ultimate secret to having glorious skin
pay attention to your diet & eat intuitively
listen to your body
don't force yourself to eat stuff you can't stomach
and don't deprive yourself of any food or food groups unless you have to
some days I crave a giant glass of green smoothie
and tofu is my main source of protein
and some days I just really want a burger and fried chicken
even though I know the chicken I'm eating probably wasn't a happy chicken
and probably didn't live a good life
and it's probably gonna make me break out
moral of the story.. listen to your body
it knows what it wants and what it needs most of the time
my general rule of thumb is to eat as many colorful things in nature as I can in a day
namely unrefined unprocessed whole foods with lots of greens and fruits
I don't count calories
I don't restrict myself from eating anything
because I used to do that when I was younger
and let's just say I was very very mentally and physically unhealthy
another secret to having glorious skin and a glorious life is to hydrate thyself
we all know water is good for us
so I'll just jump right into different types of water concoctions I've been loving
in colder months I add a few sour plums to a cup of warm water
sour plums are known for helping with digestion
or I add some dried chrysanthemum and goji berries to warm water
this helps lower the heat in your body
you can also add lemon and frozen fruits in the warmer months
and teas...
I love tea
I've been loving this Korean corn silk tea
as well as chai blends like this green chai tea
research has shown that drinking a cup of tea
can make you happier, healthier, and more productive
it is also incredibly relaxing and can help you de-stress
speaking of stress.. let's learn how to manage it
"there are more things.. likely to frighten us than there are to crush us"
"we suffer more often in imagination than in reality"
it's good to want things for ourselves and to have high expectations
but it's unrealistic to think we can be on and operating at our full capacity at all times
make time throughout the day to stand up and stretch
go outside, get some fresh air
rehydrate, do something, anything that helps you get out of your own head
even if it's for a couple of minutes
ground yourself and bring yourself back to the present moment
make that set cup of tea
and redirect your focus on something as simple as
the warmth you're feeling from holding the cup
it's helpful to remind ourselves
that a lot of people would actually leap at the opportunity
to live out our worst-case scenarios
be intentional with how you spend your time
be it the work we do, the people we see
the activities or non-activities we fill our days with
is the work you're doing really the work you want to be doing
are the friends in your life really the friends you want to surround yourself with
is it really necessary to spend a few minutes
scrolling through Instagram every couple of minutes
is what you're doing right now getting you closer to where you want to be
these are all questions I ask myself as a reminder that..
how we spend our free time is a reflection of our priorities and our values
unplug for a few hours go for a stroll
spend the time you usually spend scrolling through social media before bed
reading a book instead or meditating or journaling
anything that promotes self-reflection
and you getting better acquainted with the stillness within yourself
and lastly.. pay it forward
smile at a stranger
(｡◕‿◕｡)
hold the door open for someone behind you
give someone a compliment
~ you're pretty ~
spend a weekend at the food kitchen
volunteer at the local retirement home
~ hi grandpa! ~
by helping others, we're actually helping ourselves
invaluable lessons will be learned along the way
and the experience itself will bring ample perspective back into our lives
that we actually have it really really easy
善有善報 , 惡有惡報 is a Chinese saying that translates to
good is rewarded with good returns and evil with bad returns
we should strive to be good people not because we seek good returns
but simply because it is in our nature as humans to want to be and do good
thank you guys so much for joining me
I can go on for days
this is just...
honestly I feel like everything that I've said is just the tip of the iceberg
and that there's so much more within every topic and every point that I said
so maybe in the future I'll break it down into like food and fitness and...
other things... skincare
~ skincare ~
I cannot talk
so yeah let me know what you guys think
remember to call your mom
remember to drink water
remember to you know.. it's okay to ask for help
it's okay to get in touch with your emotions
it's okay to just try new things
that you've always heard of but never got around to trying
and let me know what you guys think as always
this week let's leave your spirit animal
leave your animal emoji down below
can't really talk...
~ ahh.. it's been a long week ~
~ it's been a very long week ~
okay, love you guys <3
*waves goodbye*