We know that sometimes taking a moment for some self-care, TRUE self-care, is often put at the very bottom of our list. But making sure your cup is full is important so that you have somewhere you are pouring out of!
Just taking a few hours for yourself and doing the things you love can completely refresh you and set you up for a successful week ahead. There are so many different ways you can show yourself some love; but we’ve put together a few ideas that tick the boxes much deeper than just surface level care! You’ll come out of this weekend feeling ready to take on a new week….
1. Get some sunshine
Just 20 minutes a day (yes, even if it’s cloudy) can give your body the Vitamin D it needs to maintain a healthy immune system and absorb calcium into your bones. The best time to get this in is within an hour of waking up, this wakes you up and helps you sleep better at night too!
The sunlight we get first thing in the morning allows us to produce serotonin,( ie: the happy hormone!) to stabilise our moods, wakes up our brain and it also plays a very important role in our digestive health.
2. Get the body moving
While you’re at it in the sunshine - get that body moving! Listen to what it is your body needs, maybe it looks like some gentle stretching and a walk outside, or perhaps it’s a strenuous hike or an uphill run! Either way, you’ll get the blood and lymphatic system pumping, which helps flush out any unwanted toxins and strengthen your immune system, you’ll also notice a dramatic shift in your mood and energy thanks to the endorphins.
Triple bonus points if you workout, in the sunshine, while listening to a wellness or inspirational podcast (We’ve linked our fave one here) - Look at you multi-tasking in the self care department!
3. Give your body a break from the booze
We know typically the weekend is the time that most look forward to a few glasses of wine or mimosas at brunch - BUT when we are in a stressed state, alcohol can actually increase our stress levels and affect anxiety quite dramatically.
It also reduces the quality of our deep, restorative sleep - our deep sleep is when our brain is ‘cleaned out’, our body resets and any short term memories of the day are moved into our long term memory. We have the perfect range of delicious non-alc drink options for you that we are sure you will LOVE and not feel like you are missing out on your ‘grown up’ drink.
4. Do something that fills your soul
What is it that truly brings joy to you? Is it some alone time or maybe doing some therapeutic baking? Maybe you love time with the family or a bit of Sunday night pampering? Whatever it is - do it! This is YOUR time to give back to yourself. Run that bath, light those candles, read that book…. Be refreshed.
5. Tick one thing off your to-do list
We know this is the least fun tip but we enjoy our downtime so much more when we have done something productive somewhere in the day. This might be the perfect opportunity to declutter your winter wardrobe, pay that bill or order your online groceries for the week. We promise you’ll feel much better afterwards!
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If you loved this list and are sure to implement it this week, take a snap and share it to socials! Tag us (@polka_drop) for a chance to win a bottle of sparkling.