ZEN HABITS TO PRACTICE DURING YOUR CRAZY DAY

We get it — you have a lot going on. Between balancing work, supporting a family, school, and trying to squeeze in one-on-one time with your main squeeze (and maybe even one episode of your favorite series; *cheers!*), we applaud you. This never-ending hectic schedule may cause you to not have as much TLC as often as you would like. We here at

The Spa want to provide you with as many tips as possible to bring some continued wellness home with you.

We have all experienced the feeling of going a million miles per hour between meetings, appointments, plans, emails, phone-calls — sheesh! We’re stressed even just thinking about it. The idea of being a “busy body” has been rooted into our habits from an early age. The idea that if you are not doing something every moment, then you are unproductive couldn't be further from the truth. It is actually the complete opposite. The moments you spend doing nothing but sitting with yourself can bring out the best ideas, most productive work, and a fresh mind to the many different projects you are involved in.

WHERE SHOULD WE START?

Similar to skin care and hair care, no two habits are the same. Everyone’s needs and availability are unique, but there is always something that we can individually work on. As our teachers, parents, guardians, and coaches have all said to us at some point, “There is always room for improvement.” Improvement (in this case) does not mean that you are doing anything wrong, it means redirecting your focus so you have more time to yourself. You cannot pour from an empty cup; you cannot be there for others if you are burnt out or struggling yourself.

DEDICATE 20 MINUTES FOR YOURSELF EVERYDAY

Here are few suggestions for great habits to start with. We recommend picking one of the following, depending on how much it appeals to you, and how much fun you might have doing it.

1. A Mindfulness Practice. There are a few good options here: 5 minutes of meditation, a mindful tea ritual, or 5 minutes of a mindful skincare routine twice daily. Not only are these beautiful, calming practices, they actually set an amazing foundation for future changes.

2. Simplify. Simplifying practices like decluttering or simplifying your schedule are great ways to create space for the important things in your life. A beautiful, uncluttered space is perfect for other things like exercise, reading, meditation, writing, and so on. Decluttering your schedule (find one thing to eliminate or simplify each day) is a great way to create space for other habit changes to follow.

3. Fun Exercise. What? Exercise can be fun? Well, sure — it is for me! I look forward to exercise, whether because running allows me to clear my head, walking allows me to mull over different ideas, or because working out with a friend is a wonderful way to socialize. If exercise doesn’t seem fun to you, you might just need to find the right partner, coach, team, or game to play. Exercise is a great habit to start with because it makes your whole day better, makes your mind more focused, and gives you the confidence to tackle other habits.

4. A Small Heathy Eating Habit. This is a great habit because it makes you feel lighter, healthier, and happier. That change can affect everything else you do. A simple eating habit might be to eat fruit and raw nuts for a snack instead of greasy or sweet snacks, or drinking water or tea instead of soda, or eating veggies instead of something fried or starchy for dinner. Enjoy the cleaner, lighter taste, the lack of heaviness, greasiness and bloating you feel afterward. You don’t have to revamp your entire diet — just one small eating change is a great way to start.

What if you want to do all four of these? Pick the one you are looking forward to the most. If there’s a tie, then pick randomly. It doesn’t matter where you start. What matters is that you start.

Although many of us may mindlessly thank the stranger who opens a door for us, or your coworker for the quick, “bless you!” after you sneeze, intentionally practicing daily gratitude can easily be overlooked. When you take a moment to recognize the good you experienced throughout the day, oftentimes there is a recognizable shift in mood & behavior. You may find yourself doing nice things for others more often, or making sure you show intentional gratitude. As a society, we all can improve on incorporating thankfulness and positivity into each other’s lives.

We’ll go first — thank you for taking a moment for yourself and reading our blog!