7 Easy Self Care Rituals

Don't you feel like your'e being pulled in a million different directions and just need a second to your self? Well these easy tasks are going to to help you.

Often, we forget to do things for our selves. But more than ever, we're in desperate need of some TLC not only for physical reasons, but for our mental health. What better time to start taking better care of you than in a global pandemic? From hearing about American politics to coronavirus conspiracies its important to give your mind the space it needs.

The idea sounds nice but sometimes you don't have the time to do something for you. It's really important to prioritise yourself. Not focusing on you can lead to burning out, or even worse, illness. By doing these daily tasks, you give your self time to pause. Even when it's so luring to keep moving. 

I've been doing my own self care rituals for a couple of years now and I have definitely seen improvement in my quality of life. This doesn't have to be apart of your everyday routine but something you do once or twice a week to bring joy into your hectic schedule.

1. Bath Time

This self care ritual is my personal favourite. I hold a lot of tension in my back so i find this is perfect after sitting at a desk all day or post workout. There is nothing like getting into a big bubble bath filled with salts, essential oils and some candles. 

For me, this is my ideal night time ritual before I go to bed. A meta-analysis of 17 studies found that taking an evening shower or bath in water between 104 and 108.5 degrees Fahrenheit improves sleep quality. 

For a self-love cultivation ritual, which for me always clears my head of any negative thoughts from the day, this is what you’ll need to do.

Fill up a bath with piping hot water, followed by Epsom salts and your favourite essential oil (mine is eucalyptus). You can either perform the ritual before, during or after the bath, but when you do it, set up a little mini “alter” or section with a Rose Quartz Crystal, our Sacred Love Incense Kit and a Red Spell Candle. Rose quartz has healing properties that help attract love and self-love, cultivating that extra love energy!

Watch our Night Time Bath Ritual here.

2.  Adaptogen O' clock

Here are a couple of my favourite ways to my powders: 

3. Get Moving!

Excercise is a great addition to your self care routine. It allows you to release anger, tension and stops you from over thinking things that went on in your day. Ive been a gym junkie for about 3 years now and i can definitely say it has changed me mentally and physically. 

Not just intense training but walking, cycling or yoga make me feel really calm and centred. I've started using my yoga practice as a way to set my intention for my manifestations and practice gratitude. 

Here are some of my favourite videos on youtube that really make me sweat. 

4. Pamper Party

Make everyday a pampering day. Treat your self to a manicure, eyebrow wax or even a facial to make you feel like the best version of you. If you don't have time to do these or you're in lockdown, then do it at home! 

The easiest self care activity you can pick up right now is dry skin brushing. Think of it as the best workout for your skin. Skin brushing boosts your lymphatic system (helping get rid of toxins in your body and improve immunity), Gwyneth Paltrow swears by it! With all its amazing properties of improving circulation, cellulite and ageing, who wouldn't want that? Try do this everyday before you get into the shower.  Click here to see my favourite skin brush. 

5. Zen that self care 

Meditating - Meditation looks easy, but in reality it's really not. I find it quite hard to sit still for long periods of time so for me it took awhile to really get why people meditated. The main goal of meditating is to bring mindfulness to you. It allows you to focus on your breath and funnel your thoughts in a positive and meaningful way. With practice, you will find it brings serenity into your chaotic schedule. 

Here is an easy video to get you started on meditating.

Journalling - Journalling for me is another form of meditation. It gets all my feelings out from the day and reminds myself of all the good things that happened in the day.

When I started learning about spiritual practices like manifesting, candle rituals and energy cleansing, I soon realised that expressing gratitude was a huge part of it. I noticed by practising gratitude daily, things started falling into place and I was attracting everything I wanted.

Who would have thought just by writing 3 things I'm grateful for every day, I could shift my mindset from being negative to positive. the simple task of eating my daily porridge was something I was truly thankful for.

On a scientific level, studies have found a correlation between the feeling of gratitude and a chemical hormone called oxytocin, also known as the 'love hormone' name because it's the hormone released when reserving physical affection. In essence, practising gratitude on a neurological level is like constantly stimulating your brain with hugs and orgasms. 

6. Set Your Boundaries 

When self care rituals come to mind, most people think of physical actives, however, the most important self care acts our done to aid our minds.

Setting boundaries with family, friends and co-workers are so important for our mental health. The more developed you become with your self care habits, the more you will start to notice that you set limits and times on what you need and who with. Say no to plans and YES to self care. The more the more you engrave this into your life the more the people around you will respect your boundaries.

7. Night Rituals 

Unwinding the day away is the needed remedy for a good night sleep. Here are a few hacks that help you get sleepy. 

- Eye Mask and Lavender pillow 

Lavender is a great essential oil to calm your body and mind. According to a study conducted by Dr. M. Kritsidima, those who were around the lavender scent reported lower levels of anxiety compared to the other patients.

This set from Monique Lucas is a great addition to your night time ritual. The British brand fills their pillows and eye masks with organic Isle of Wight lavender. This has such a calming effect on me while I'm getting cosy in bed.

- Valarian Root

We all have nights where we end up staring at the wall till 3am because we cant sleep. 

Valarian Root is a natural supplement taken to aid insomnia and promote a good nights sleep. The good thing about it is that it isn't addictive and doesn't leave you groggy in the morning like most sleeping tablets do.  

Share your #SundaySelfCare with us @houseofroxylondon

Love Roxy