You know self care is important. But what does that mean exactly? Self care is more than bubble baths and mani-pedis. Listen in for 4 tangible ways the art of daily self care resources that actually make a long lasting difference in your life.
Welcome to the Treasured Wellness Podcast where we talk about all things health, and where nothing is off limits, you will uncover what may be holding you back so that you can break those chains. Get to the root cause and walk into freedom with confidence the way God intended for you to live. Hi, I’m Michelle McCoy, functional health coach and holistic lifestyle advocate. Ladies, together we are going to dig deep into real life so that you are educated and equipped to create the health you desire without the overwhelm. Now more than ever is the time for breakthrough action and restoration. It’s time to get intentional and reclaim your health. If you’re ready for mind, body and soul clarity, then let’s get to it.
Hey, there, I am so happy that you joined me today, I wanted to bring you this bonus episode on self care and how it isn’t just bubble baths and mani-pedis, right. I mean, self care is vital for good emotional, physical and mental health but I believe that the form of self care that you choose to do, that’s really important too so I wanted to bring you my take on four ways to really nurture yourself on a deeper level, just to show yourself that intentional care that your body really will respond to and guess what, they’re all free, yay, an extra bonus. Yes, because when we are so busy, we just do not have the time to slip away or maybe we don’t have the resources to slip away and do some of the more common versions of self care. So wherever you are listening, sit back, relax, I want you to just relax and think about how you can implement some, or maybe even all of these tips that I’m going to share. Alright, let’s get started.
Okay, so the other day as I was getting a much needed deep tissue massage, and just kind of breathing through the pain. Have you ever done that, I mean, I just don’t really get what I call those fluffy massages. And I don’t mean that in a rude way. It’s just that my body has always been in pain in some way shape, or form that it was only through changing so much of my lifestyle and my eating and the way I do things that I was able to really get control over that but then every once in a while, you know, I’ll twist strong or something will happen. I’ll lift something and I get that same chronic pain back and the only thing that can help it is chiropractic and deep tissue massage. So honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever had a just a relaxing completely like a blissful massage like there’s always been an element of pain involved but it always feels so much better the next day. So as I was just laying on the table, and I was just breathing through that pain, because that helps so much.
I just started thinking about how back in the day, like how I used to perceive self care, what I think self care meant. And back in the chaos days of raising our family and trying to put healthy meals on the table at a decent time. And I’ve really, just personally, I just never thought I had the time or really honestly the money to do the bigger things that other women around me were doing, like getting their nails done every month or getting their hair done every six weeks. I mean, for me, I was lucky to get my haircut every nine or 10 weeks and occasionally I would get those highlights maybe twice a year. It just depended like, just forget getting my nails done all the time like that just didn’t happen. I mean, it was really for me and an occasional treat that I usually did with my daughter. And I’m so grateful for the nail school because we spent a lot of time there over her years growing up because it was so much cheaper and she didn’t care. She was just getting her nails done so it worked. I mean, we made sacrifices, and that’s okay.
I don’t have any regrets about that but that’s how I used to think self care was getting my nails done getting my hair done. Getting a nice new outfit, just really treating myself to a cup of coffee, maybe going on a vacation or just getting a little getaway. I mean, back in my chaotic days that’s really pretty much what I was thinking when I thought about self care. And I just really didn’t think it was in my reach but as I’ve matured because with age comes wisdom, right? I really started thinking that those things weren’t cutting in anyway, in terms of self care. I mean, at least not for me and it honestly may not be cutting it for you either. If you’re even doing those things, or you might be the way I was back then where I just felt like I didn’t have the time or the resources to do that. And if it’s not cutting it for you, it may be because most likely, your body has been in a state of unrest for so long, that those things that you want us to feel pampered by, maybe you no longer really do if you even get a chance to do them. So I really wanted to bring my take on four ways to really nurture yourself on a deeper level, just to show yourself that intentional care, and I promise your body will respond to this. And like I said, before, they are all three.
Okay, so number one, breathe, women, honestly, we shallow breathe much of the day. So check yourself, when was the last time you really did a deep inhale and a deep exhale? I love my 555 method of deep breathing, because it’s super easy. It’s not that big of a challenge, you don’t have to make sure that you’re counting these different numbers like I just want it simple, right? If I’m going to stop and take the time to breathe, like really breathe, I want to keep it simple. I’m not a fan of Dr. Andrew Wiles formula, because it’s just not simple to me, and it never has been. And that’s why I created my own amount of time that just worked for me. So inhaling for the count of five through your nose, holding it for the count of five, and then exhaling fully through your mouth for the count of five. Doing that in really just kind of a round of three every day is going to really support your nervous system. So doing this every time you are feeling tense, anxious, or stressed but I also want you to be practicing it regularly, so that it can come naturally for you to do that. I need to stop and breathe. I mean, if you have an Apple watch or a watch that tells you to breathe, I mean, it’s there for a reason. It really supports your nervous system, it’s super important that we are breathing often. And the deep breathing, not that shallow breathing.
I mean, there’s a reason why they added that to the watch. So do around three deep breaths and practice this in the shower. Practice this when you’re driving down the road. Just practice it so that it becomes more ingrained in your body, more ingrained in your mind that you need to stop and breathe. And if you have been feeling like you’re in that fight or flight for a while, I’ve got to tell you, this can be a little tricky to allow yourself to stop and do this because we just feel it when we’re in that fight or flight. It’s one more thing we just can’t stop and breathe. It sounds so simplistic, it kind of sounds silly that we tell ourselves, we can’t stop and breathe but I know I was there. I always felt like I was in this, like humming state of constant doo doo doo and I didn’t feel like I could stop and do anything is even as simple as stopping and deep breathing but it is so necessary because it calms the nervous system so greatly so breathe 555 do that, practice it, inhale for the count of five, hold for the count of five, and then exhale fully through your mouth for the count to five.
And then number two, get out in nature because being outside feeling the sun on your skin, hearing the birds and those other critters breathing in the fresh air, seeing the beauty of your surroundings, guys like this is paramount and bringing your body back into a state of rest, instead of into that state of stress. Really, and this has got to be a cell free zone, right? Like you do not want to have your cell phone with you when you’re doing this. I mean within reason of course if you’re slipping away from the house, and you need to bring the baby monitor. I mean, that’s totally understandable but really try to take this time for yourself everyday to get outside in nature. It really only needs to take five minutes to actually physically feel the results and sometimes it’s even faster than that. You’re going to physically feel it you’re going to emotionally and mentally feel it and if you live in a city, go to a park and if you have a small backyard that’s okay so works right and honestly guys, I want to tell you that there are bonus points for taking those shoes off and walking barefoot in the grass because there are so many great benefits to grounding or earthing is what it’s also called and Aristotle once said, in nature, there is something marvelous and he’s right, because other cultures have actually known the benefits of grounding but it’s still not widely talked about here in America but basically grounding or earthing, it recharges your body with the energy of the earth, the Earth’s natural energy, it just helps to recharge your body.
And it helps to bring your body back into a state of balance, which is really great for your nervous system, it’s great for your immune system. So bonus points for taking your shoes off and walking barefoot in the grass. Now I struggled with this because we are working on trying to get our yard together and actually have grass grow without dumping a bunch of chemicals on it. So we have a lot of weeds and a lot of prickers in the spring. So it can be a little tricky for myself even so just do the best that you can. And that’s another reason why we feel so calm and relaxed when we go to the beach too, because we are walking barefoot on the sand. And that’s another way of grounding ourselves. So it helps us greatly.
So the number three, stay hydrated, okay, I know this sounds simple. And you’re probably thinking I do like to drink enough water but are you really drinking enough water, track it for a day and really see because when you are not properly hydrated, your cells will get starved, they’ll get kind of well dehydrated. And that in turn affects all of your body systems like head to toe, it’s going to affect your thinking, your processing your reactions, your mood, your energy, your digestion, like it affects everything.
So aim for half of your body weight in ounces. And fresh lemon water is great for a natural electrolyte boost but if you don’t like lemons, use cucumbers, use berries, use orange slices, drink herbal teas, or you can even use those stevia based flavor mixes but get that water in, you know, you’ve heard me say water before coffee, like make that a practice that you don’t even have to think about anymore, because it’s just something that you automatically do.
And then number four, sleep. Getting enough sleep is so key to feeling well in our mind and our body. And it’s your body’s chance while you’re sleeping to really repair and regenerate and recover and restore. I mean, it’s just so vital, really for Optimal Living. I mean, you know how you feel when you are chronically sleep deprived. So when you are getting proper sleep, the daily pressures of life, they just don’t seem quite so hard anymore, right? I mean, it feels like it’s a little bit more manageable so really make this time for yourself a priority. Now, I get it. New moms like that are so hard during the season of having a newborn and I would even say up to like three years old, sometimes it can be really hard.
I had a daughter that didn’t like to sleep through the night. So I totally understand that many, many nights I was sleeping, or trying to sleep on her floor with my arm thrown up over her bed so that she would know that I was there because, you know, it’s just what we do. So give yourself some grace and try to think about what can I forfeit, to gain more quality sleep? So whether that’s that third load of laundry that day, does it really need to be folded at 11 o’clock at night? Or can you let it go? What is it that can be forfeited, so that you can gain more quality sleep. create for yourself a calming bedtime routine, like using essential oils, having a diffuser by your bed, reading a book but not on a device. Using low lighting, maybe put some lotions on, give yourself a little foot massage with your lotion, drink a mug of herbal tea, just really an hour before going to bed or even 30 minutes before going to bed. Do your best to create a calming bedtime routine for yourself. And that is such a necessary way of showing your body that you care for it by showing your body some love because you’re giving yourself that wine downtime.
You’re not just throwing your PJs on brushing your teeth and falling into bed. Right you are creating a calming routine just like you would do for your kids. I mean, we’ve all done that. You know we all create that calming bedtime routine for our kids, for the most part on the nights that we can because we know that we need them relaxed so that they’ll fall asleep. And you need the same thing tomorrow. So, give it to yourself and let some things go. Maybe let the TV go for a night, maybe don’t scroll for a night like just let some things go so that you can prime your body for a relaxing night of sleep. Okay, so let me recap four ways that are free to nurture your body with self care. Number one, breathe, use my 555 method. Number two, get out in nature.
Number three, hydrate and number four sleep. Okay, let me pray over you, ladies. Lord, I just come to you and I just ask that you would bless every single woman listening, I just thank you that you never leave us nor forsake us, Lord and I just pray that Your Holy Spirit would surround each woman with your peace and your grace. Lord, we are so grateful that your mercies are new every single morning and we need that and we thank you for that. So as your daughters are on their journey for good health, in their mind, body and soul, I just pray that you would surround them and that they would feel your presence for us in Jesus name I pray, amen.
Okay, guys, that’s what I’ve got for you today. And if you have not yet gotten my free fogging fatigue resource to help you gain more energy naturally, that link will be down in the show notes. Make sure you get that because that’s got some tangible action steps that you can use every single day to help you get into a routine to gain more energy instead of having energy be draining from you.
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