Our culture thrives on being busy, applauding those who are the busiest and don’t slow down for anything or anyone -- especially themselves. It has taken years for me to learn to allow myself to take time to care for and love myself. I want my kids, friends, family, colleagues to know a different way, and to feel fully supported in their needs to maintain daily balance. For instance, to regroup after a long day at school, my son needs time outside, while my daughter needs to draw or read. I encourage them both to take the time they each need for those activities each day.
The most effective way to teach is to lead by example. Below are self-care and self-love tips for you, your family members, and friends to implement during this holiday season and into the New Year.

1. Affirmations. The Zendoway “I Love Me Affirmations” cube has prompts that ask you to write down why you love yourself, to create a love dance or song, to repeat “I love me” 10 times, and other similar activities. The self-love affirmation is a powerful tool as we all need that daily reminder that we are awesome, no matter what. Using the cubes at the dinner table is an interactive way to spark new conversations and learn about each other. The first time I gave my daughter this cube to roll at the dinner table, she said, “I don’t love anything about myself.” I was baffled, since she shows a consistent front of self-confidence and happiness. With further conversation, I was able to figure out that she just had a bad day and was temporarily feeling down on herself, which we can all relate to. I was so grateful that the cube facilitated that conversation, so I could support her! What do you love about yourself?
2. Do something you love daily. Ask yourself, “what brings me joy?” We get so caught up in the day to day of being tugged in so many different directions, it can come to the end of the day and we have forgotten all about our own needs. Let’s give ourselves love, attention, that one special treat that will make us smile, and brings us ultimate joy. What brings you joy?
3. Spend time alone. We all require downtime to process our busy lives. Mindful time alone allows us to decompress, tap into our creative nature, solve a problem, and discover what to say to nurture our family or team members. Time alone can be in meditation, a walk, a run, or even driving in our cars. I love to have the first hour when I wake up to myself to spend in various ways; if I don’t take that time, I find I feel all out of sorts. How do you spend your alone time?
4. Nurture your body. Eat healthy food, use organic lotion/oils on your skin, and practice self-massage. An easy self-practice I do each night is to massage sesame (warming) or coconut (cooling) oil on my feet before I go to bed. It not only keeps my feet well moisturized, it promotes sound sleep and is an effective way to give back to my body at the end of each day. How do you nurture your body?
5. Check in with your feelings. Many times, we think we should feel or act a certain way. When was the last time you checked in with how you were truly feeling? When I started this “check-in” practice daily, I was amazed at my own personal insights throughout each day. When you are feeling stressed, check in with yourself. How are you really feeling right now?
6. Gauge your mental chatter. What is going on in our minds can be mind-boggling. My meditation teacher Rolf Gates taught me how to release these thoughts by putting them into an imaginary boat, giving it a label, and letting it go. Do you have a boat that is full of to-do items or filled with worry? Either way, it is okay; just label it, and set it off to sea. What is your mental chatter?

Remember, small daily doses of self-care will keep us mentally, physically, and emotionally sound. Once you determine which self-care rituals/routines work best you will notice that your mindful practice will become contagious and you will want to do more for yourself. We all have a desire to be cared for and we are the only ones that truly know what feels good to us each day. The daily commitment to self-care is what will set us apart from others – help us have more energy in all facets of our daily life. We deserve the best!
 

Article Sponsored by: The Recovery Village

Recent research suggests that mindfulness, or the ability to cultivate a purposeful, non-judgmental, moment-to-moment awareness of one’s surroundings, can be a powerful force in helping people overcome drug and alcohol addiction. While the causes of addiction are complex and often personal, the driving force of most substance use is the desire to escape from the present moment.
 
The human drive to move toward pleasure and away from pain doesn’t just manifest itself in drug and alcohol addiction. Many people endlessly scroll through social media, binge watch Netflix and eat junk food without realizing that these are unhealthy attempts to avoid difficult emotions. But through mindfulness, it’s possible to become more aware of these behaviors, change them, embrace the present moment, and find more meaning in day-to-day experiences. If you’re someone struggling with addiction, the simple addition of self-awareness could change your life — or even save it.  
 
Accepting Discomfort
Negative feelings and experiences are an unavoidable part of life. The only way to survive and thrive in spite of difficulty is to learn how to accept and find value in less-than-ideal circumstances. Unfortunately, this is often easier said than done. Many people who struggle with addiction believe that they have good reasons for fleeing from reality. Trauma, mental illness and physical injury are common catalysts for substance use. Circumstances outside of personal control, including family history and home environment, are often also contributing factors.
 
But people aren’t just the sum of external circumstances — everyone has the power to step back from their feelings and take control of their perspective. That’s where mindfulness comes in. Mindfulness is the act of being fully and nonjudgmentally aware of the present moment, accepting and identifying any feelings, thoughts and sensations as they arise. Instead of fleeing from or mindlessly diving into these experiences, practitioners are encouraged to simply observe them, identify them and let them go. Most mindfulness practices involve some form of seated mindfulness meditation, but they can also be performed while walking, eating, speaking, listening or practicing yoga.
 
This kind of passive, detached awareness of inner dialogue and experiences can be incredibly beneficial to people struggling with addiction. Instead of fighting or avoiding the difficult states of mind that inevitably arise during recovery, mindfulness helps practitioners label feelings — particularly, negative ones — and learn to tolerate them. With the power of detachment, those in recovery can remain resilient and level-headed in the face of events or feelings that might otherwise trigger substance use.  
 
Finding New Meaning in Recovery
While internal monologues and beliefs about oneself, others and the world can influence addiction, mindfulness can also be used to help individuals push back against these faulty frameworks. Many people with substance use disorder have a story that they tell themselves about their addictions. They may believe that they can’t stop using substances even if they tried to, or that they wouldn’t be able to cope with specific circumstances without consuming drugs or alcohol. Mindfulness allows people in recovery to recognize supposed truths for what they are: stories they tell themselves. In the moment that a person can see a belief for what it is, they have the power to change it.
 
This is why mindfulness is so successful in addressing addiction. Over time, regular mindfulness practice can completely change the way that individuals relate to their thoughts and allow them to push back against dangerous behaviors that once felt automatic. From this place of peace and stillness, people can begin to reconnect with their bodies and minds, and make more purposeful decisions about how they lead their lives.
 
Bio Information
​A Florida-born and based writer for The Recovery Village, Megan Hull is driven by a desire to connect individuals suffering from substance abuse disorders with the help they need. The Recovery Village is a collection of full continuum of care drug and alcohol addiction treatment facilities. With locations across the country, The Recovery Village has helped countless clients find renewed living in sobriety.

​My birthday was this week, so giving back was focused on myself. And I wanted to share with you as well a special 43% off on any product or service. Another birthday surprise was being quoted in The New York Post.