In honor of National Self-Care Awareness Month, we’ve come up with a few September self-care tips to make your month just a little less stressful. After all, what’s more important than maintaining our health and wellness? You can, while carrying out your usual responsibilities, and it needn’t cost you much of anything. See our tips below:

• Check out one of the new wellness/fitness apps that can help you stay focused on your routine, like “Calm” “Wakeout“, “Runkeeper“, or others. What you choose depends on your wellness goals and situation. No matter what you need to relax, unwind, and stay fit, there’s an app for that.
• Enjoy the great outdoors. In Japan, the art of Shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing” has been proven to improve health and well-being. Gardening has its benefits as well, as does hiking and other enjoyable outdoor activities. All are designed to refresh mind and body.
• Choose to unplug. Most of us are constantly inundated by TV, social media and smart phone notifications. These can often create a state of sensory overload that can increase tension and disrupt sleep. The solution? Take a vacation from electronic devices, even if it’s for a day. Instead, why not have a foot soak, read a good book, write poetry, or listen to soothing music?
• Create some real connection. Human beings are social animals. Our busy schedules and many responsibilities can leave us feeling isolated. Take a mental health day and find community by exploring a new interest. Find like-minded individuals at a Meetup group, attend a Sip & Paint event, visit an animal shelter, contact someone you haven’t spoken to in awhile; the list is endless.
• Try aromatherapy. It has been used for thousands of years to relieve stress and treat minor ailments. Read more about its benefits here. Companies like DoTerra provide aromatherapy oil kits to help you get started. Or you can use a diffuser like this one on Amazon and experiment with different essential oil scents. You are bound to find one that promotes relaxation or lifts mood. (Read our blog post on essential oil benefits.)
• Keep a journal. Remember when diaries were all the rage? Journaling is a more grown-up version. It’s been shown to hold many benefits. Whether or not you’re fond of writing, putting word to paper is a worthwhile exercise in self-awareness and discipline. It is a less expensive form of therapy that forces the mind to work things out, clear out the cobwebs, and relieve stress. There are also specialty journals available that help with organization and goal-setting if that suits your fancy.

There are almost as many ways to provide self-care as there are people. Do you have a favorite? We’d love to know. Feel free to contact us at: