In 2017 I Want To Focus on...

It's easy, with places to be and obligations and the stress of everyday life, to forget that taking care of yourself well really matters. I know from experience. Throughout 2016, I found myself feeling sick, breaking out to the point of wanting to wear a paper bag over my head, getting headaches that lasted for weeks, and just feeling down and bad about myself. All of this was pretty much caused by stress. So with that said, I am writing this post for myself, and others, with some ideas for treating yourself the best during 2017. 

First and most obvious; take a bath and relax! 

Light some candles. Put some music on. 

Baths are proven to improve your mood, help your skin, decrease muscle pain, and help you sleep. Just don't make your water too hot, because that isn't actually very good for you. 

                        Spice your bath up with a nice body scrub, a face mask, or some essential oils! 

These are my favorites: Pure Body Naturals Dead Sea Face Mask, Majestic Pure Spirulina Skin Scrub, Eden's Gardens Essential Oils, Witch Hazel to splash on my face, and of course anything from Lush. 

Here is my bath playlist!

#2 : Yoga!

 If you aren't already a yoga-practicer, you may have already made up some itdeas about this physical and mental form of exercise in your head. For example, my little brother thought about it as easy, and made fun of me when I talked about yoga as a workout. Others may find yoga to be too intense physically, or too zen. But really, the cool thing about yoga is that it can be changed to suit anyone. If you are looking for meditation mixed with a muscle stretch, yoga is perfect. If you want a workout

that will make you strong (and sweaty) yoga can be like that too.

For me, yoga helps me be more open and accepting of myself, and I am currently working on becoming stronger through yoga, both physically and mentally.

This is my most recent yoga playlist.

#3: Bust a move!

Put on your red shoes! Let loose! Boogie!

But for real. Whether it's at a concert, a party, alone in your bedroom, or in the kitchen with the broom as a microphone, dancing always will increase your mood. You don't have to qualify for Dancing With the Stars or anything, it's not about being good. It's about opening up, moving, and being spontaneous. Life can become really monotonous and restricted sometimes. Everyone gets caught up in routines, and it's easy to get stuck in them. But when you're dancing you don't really know what is coming. Each move just moves into the next, and for a little bit those routines are forgotten. So if dancing isn't a part of your day already, then crank up your favorite tunes and break it down! 

Here are some of my favorite songs to dance to.

#4: Listen

And not to the people telling you what you should or should not do. You shouldn't have to call a certain type of music your "guilty pleasure" as so many do. If you like it, listen to it and be proud! Music can really influence how you feel, so don't listen to something that doesn't make you feel good, just because everyone else is.

For me, it's Chance The Rapper, and I'm not afraid to have everyone know that I blast No Problem anytime I feel down. 

This is my spotify if you wanna see what I'm listening to! 

#5: Wear what YOU want

You don't have to wear what fashion magazines say is "in style" if it doesn't make you feel good about yourself. Rock what you want to rock, not what everyone rocks if it doesn't feel right. And if anyone says anything about how you dress, don't listen to em! You'll be the cooler person in the long run. 

#6: Eat Right! 

Sure, a little indulgence once in a while is fine. But in the long run, if your main diet is simple and wholesome, your body will thank you. I don't wanna sound like a health magazine or something, so I won't say much more. But when you eat, think of your body as a fantastic machine, and in order to keep it running, you have to give it all of the things it needs, and extra stuff will only slow it down. And the more colorful the better! 

#7: Get some Vitamin D!

Just a couple of minutes a day in the sun (if you have it where you live!) can seriously help your mood and mindset. Go outside, get a breath of fresh air, and soak up some sun. 

#8: Take time to do what YOU wanna do

This can be hard if you have a busy life. Last year I thought I didn't have time to do anything I wanted, until a teacher helped changed my mind a little bit. He said that you have time to do anything, it's just how you prioritize that time. For me, that would mean that if I spent ten less minutes on my phone, I'd have ten more minutes for embroidery.

Hopefully this post gave you some ideas of how you can treat yourself this year! If you have any self care tips to share I'd love to hear them. I wish you all the light and love and happiness that 2017 can give.

xoxo
India