DECEMBER NEWSLETTER

1. CREATE A SELF-CARE KIT

Keep a box full of things that make you feel good. These can be photos, books, music records, your favorite recipes. I have a whole collection of essential oils, my favorite candles, music, and recipes in mine. Reach for your box whenever you’re in need of some self-care and if you don’t have time to practice it, schedule it in! 

2. GO TO SLEEP EARLY

Some of the things we hated doing as children, we love doing as adults- like going to sleep early and getting more than 6 hours of sleep.

• Creating a Sleep-Inducing Bedroom

• Optimizing Your Sleep Schedule

• Crafting a Pre-Bed time Routine

• Fostering Pro-Sleep Habits During the Day

3. TAKE A NAP

Nothing is more refreshing than a midday nap. It’s not something that most of us allow ourselves to do often. Don’t make it too long though- keep it between 15-20 minutes.

4. DIGITAL DETOX

Spend an entire day without your phone, computer, tablet, TV. Think of some of the things you loved doing as a kid, that didn’t involve electronics. 

5. LAUGH

Watch something silly, funny; stand-up comedy is one of my favorite ways of cheering myself up. It’s great for the abdominal muscles too!

6. EAT MINDFULLY

Eat slowly, enjoy every single bite, let your body catch up to your brain, focus on taste, consistency, different textures. This will also help you absorb the nutrients! 

7. LISTEN TO NEW MUSIC

Listen to something you usually wouldn’t listen to, discover new artists, new songs, new sounds, and even podcasts! 

8. JOURNAL

Write out everything that’s on your mind. Just write. What are some of the things you hope to accomplish? What makes you happy? What are you grateful for? What are your fears? What worked this week? What didn’t? Any revisions on goals? 

9. WATCH THE SUNSET

.…or the sunrise. Both happen every day, but how rarely do we get to truly appreciate their beauty?

10. DRINK MORE WATER

Better yet, start your days with a glass of warm water with lemon- it does wonders for your digestive system and gives your immune system a little boost. Shoot for an overall gallon of water consumption a day!

11. CREATE A MORNING ROUTINE

Create a ritual– something you will look forward to, every single morning. Even if it’s just a 10-minute meditation, reading a chapter or two of a book, having your tea or coffee in complete silence- make sure to spend some time just with yourself and set your intentions for the day to come. 

• Keep a sleep log and evaluate daily (try to stick to the same schedule and shoot for 7-9 hours of sleep)

• Move the alarm clock across the room (or set two!) 

• Get an evaluation by a sleep expert

• Get some bright light first thing in the morning (can you set a timer for your lights to go on?) 

• Melatonin, teas, etc to help you sleep better

• Stay away from screens at night or set to blue light mode 

• Find your “why”. To motivate you to get up. 

• Streamline your mornings to be efficient. 

• Drink some lemon water upon waking up

• No screen time until breakfast

• Start with exercise

• Eat a real breakfast

• Set 3 goals for the day the night before. And nightly evaluate those goals and what worked what didn’t 

• Use some music to get you motivated or set your timer to blast out a motivational speech 

• Get accountability (have a partner?) 

12. JUMP ON YOUR BED

Jump on your bed, play with a balloon, or do some coloring, dance; do something that will remind you of being a kid. Don’t forget the rebounder or trampoline! These are great cardiovascular alternatives. Rebounding can help work the muscles in the legs, increase your endurance, and strengthen your bones, among a number of other benefits.

13. TRY GUIDED MEDITATION

The more you think you don’t have time for things like meditation, the more you could benefit from practicing it. Regular practice can help you find clarity, focus, and peace. Consider the slick 7. 

14. GO FOR A LONG HIKE

Go for a long hike. Forest Bathe! “Ecotherapy” using nature for a solution. The term emerged in Japan in the 1980s as a physiological and psychological exercise called shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere”). The purpose was twofold: to offer an eco-antidote to tech-boom burnout and to inspire residents to reconnect with and protect the country's forests.

15. SPEND TIME OUTDOORS

Read outdoors, go for a long walk in the park, grab a blanket, a bottle of water, and a book. Walk barefoot, feel grounded. Grounding also called earthing, is a therapeutic technique that involves doing activities that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the earth. This practice relies on earthing science and grounding physics to explain how electrical charges from the earth can have positive effects on your body.