Self-care rituals for better feminine health
Often, us women work against our natural rhythms and energies as we push ourselves through burnout and stressful situations. When we lead such intense, fast paced lives, we struggle to make time for our health. Don’t let social media fool you - lots of people actually don’t go to workout classes or have time to meal prep fancy dinners. Would it be better for you if you could start doing these things? Probably. But is it the only way to achieve better health? Absolutely not.
So if you’re reading this as a busy woman who feels like she needs more balance in her life to calm her down - here are 10 of my favourite small rituals you can implement in your day to day for better health. Most of these are inexpensive if not completely free and they take no more than 10 minutes a day.
1) Oral care first thing
Taking care of your oral hygiene is vital, your mouth works overnight to bring up the bad bacteria in your body and bring it to the surface of the tongue. That’s why it is super important to brush your teeth, scrape your tongue and floss first thing to keep your mouth fresh for the rest of the day. You can try the Ayurverdic method of oil pulling (swooshing coconut oil round your mouth for a couple of minutes), or you could buy a tongue scraper for similar benefits.
2) Brain dumping journal
Before you go into your day, start by clearing your head of any worries, past thoughts that are still lingering or even the memories of dreams you have had, by writing down freely in a journal. This exercise of free writing has no rules, if you just sit down every morning and write at least one page a day and be completely unfiltered with it - you will noticeably feel lighter. We may not always know it, but our brain is constantly overloaded with thoughts - so writing down in our journal any thoughts that may be hanging overhead is like having a second brain where all of the stuff that is holding us back can stay, and we can move forward with a clearer and more positive brain.
3) Breathe.
Just breathe deeply and slowly before you tackle any of your daily tasks. Take time (it can be as little as 2 minutes), to energise your body with the breath to move into the day with pure energy. There are many different breathing techniques (check my other blog posts for some inspiration on pranayama!), but even just lengthening your normal breathing and bringing your awareness to each inhale and exhale is good enough.
4) Mindful morning movement
Your body has been stagnant for the last 8 hours or so whilst you slept so it needs to be stretched and energised through movement. Especially if you have an office job that keeps you cooped up all day - getting in daily movement is crucial! Even a 5-10 minute yoga flow will do the trick!
5) Have a happy drink
By this I don’t mean a glass of wine (no benefits in that sorry!). I mean you should romanticise your morning coffee or bedtime tea. Whether it’s a green juice or a cappuccino it doesn’t matter. What does matter is you taking time to enjoy the process of making that drink, serving it in your favourite mug, maybe using a fancy syrup or even listening to your favourite song whilst you make it. Taking time to be mindful and grateful for this moment and this drink that brings you joy, will make a profound difference in your everyday mood and wellbeing.
6) Practice mindful eating
Similar to the previous point, if you take time to be grateful for the food you have in front of you and the labour that went into making it, this will not only help your mood but also your digestion. Especially women who lead particular busy lives, it is so common to inhale your food in minutes which makes your digestive system go out of whack and you feel hungry an hour later. To be kinder to your body and allow your food to nourish you - start to practice mindful eating.
7) Digital detox
Whether you have “no screen time” allocated every day or if you want to go completely cold turkey for one day a week/month, this ritual is completely situational. Whatever works for you is better than nothing, we all need time away from the digital world and the benefits to shutting it all off and focusing on the now are monumental. Put in your calendar a day this month to completely detox from all of your electronic devices and see how it changes your relationship with them.
8) Compliment someone else everyday
Being nice to others instantly makes you feel better, plus if you believe in the idea of karma - the nice energy you put out will eventually find its way back to you. When you outwardly are nice to someone else, it starts to change the way you inwardly think about yourself. Whereas if you constantly talk bad about others, your brain will assume that people talk about you in the same way. So stop being nasty and start being nice.
9) Be grateful
Every night before you sleep - write down 5 things you are grateful for. They cam be as detailed as you like, throughout the week try to keep these things different every day. When you bring attention to what you are already grateful for, the universe will send you more to be grateful for.
10) Prioritise your sleep
Women need more sleep than men - that is a fact. Stop depriving yourself of it. Imagine it this way - if you were taking care of a baby that needed to sleep, would you keep it up watching TV or having more playtime? No you wouldn’t, you would find a way to make that baby comfortable and ready to sleep. So why don’t you listen to your own cues more? Aim for 8 hours every night to feel your best.
Hope these tips can help any women out there that are feeling burnt out or stressed. Remember, wellness looks different for everyone, the main thing is that it should be something you can adapt into your everyday life that is realistic and it makes you happy!
