Something I often ponder when it comes to actively sharing on social media is, how do I show up personally while also promote my business and serve my clients / audience? A tricky balance all about intention and boundaries. Sometimes it’s fun to write about + share personal things that are “off-brand” !!! So here we are, talking about sabbatical self-care –
Sabbatical Self-Care
Slowing down can be tough, especially if you’re an ants-in-your-pants person like me. It’s like pulling teeth sometimes. But once I allow myself some margin and get to a slower pace, it’s actually kind of nice. Here are some of the practices + things we’ve been doing during our surprise sabbatical:
Being outside
After noting this list I realize I’m quite the old soul and 100% ok with it. I love all of these practices and I hope you do too!
-‘Morning mile’
Going on a morning walk with Henry before starting my day. It sets an intention for the day and reminds me every morning that it’s okay to not be in a rush.
-Gardening
We’ve never had a full-on, plants-in-the-ground garden, so this is a daily excitement. We have our first green little tomato growing and we check on it everyday. Our veggie plants are our babies.
-Afternoon bike rides
-Eating meals on our porch
-Hammock-ing
We don’t have the tree situation to do this at our current house, buuut I used to do this often in college and it’s such a fun leisure activity.
Slowing down
-Not setting an alarm
Now that Adam’s started ground school, we can’t do this anymore but we did it for about a week and it was sooooo nice. I’ve heard good things about sunrise alarms as an alternative to your phone’s alarm. This seems like a gradual and more relaxing way to be woken up, instead of feeling panic (and a rise in cortisol) as soon as your alarm sounds in the AM.
-Being “over-indulgent” with your skincare routine
Honestly I don’t think treating your skin well can ever be considered over-indulgent, even if you have great skin. So lately I’ve been intentional about upping my skin game. Here are some products I’m excited about these days.
- Berry Beautiful Red Raspberry Seed Oil
- W3LL PEOPLE Tinted Moisturizer (w/ SPF)
- cocokind
- Matcha stick, for moisturizing
- Turmeric stick, for spot treatment
- Resurfacing sleep mask, to increase your skin’s “suppleness” + remove discoloration
- Chlorophyll mask, for detox + de-puffing
SKINCARE TANGENT: I’ve recently had a change of heart about my skin routine, especially after hearing Hey Momma Cam talk all about her Ayurvedic self-care practices. It really hit me when she said “Your skin is your biggest organ, so what you’re putting on it + exposing it to matters.” Duh!! That got my attention. Skincare is important!
-Going on drives to nowhere
There’s something therapeutic about driving down a pretty road with all the windows down, sunshine falling through the sunroof and your favorite music turned up. For the sake of sabbatical self-care, it’s absolutely okay to drive without a destination. #therapy
-Learning something new (?)
FREE TIMEEE is the time that everyone reserves for working on themselves / self-improvement. Well folks, now we have it! So what are you working on? I invested in an online class by my favorite photog ever all about the nitty gritty deets of Adobe editing softwares and efficient workflows.
But also! If you’re not in that headspace right now, please don’t give in to the societal pressure to be productive during this time. Maybe you need this sabbatical to rest, be slow and recover!!! That’s totally a thing and I encourage you to honor that.
-Having a morning routine
With a lack of routine in every other aspect of our lives right now, having a set routine in the mornings is peaceful + grounding. I’m a big fan of this practice + believe it can transform your whole day right from the start. This time is a great opportunity to check in and try new things in the mornings. Henry and I have recently started taking walks in the morning before breakfast and it’s been so refreshing.
Loving your atmosphere / home space
Now that we’re spending the majority of our days in our homes, it’s extra helpful to looooove being in your home space. Interior decorating is a struggle point for me b/c I tend to be over-practical (if it doesn’t have a purpose, then why should I buy it?) and enjoy minimalism, buuut here are some of the things that make me enjoy being in my home more.
-Diffusers
I used to make fun of essential oils and diffusers, but now they have my full support. They make your house feel clean + smell amazing. I use mine daily! Rosemary + lavender is almost always diffusing here.
-House plants
The easiest + coolest interior decor hack. We have soooo many, especially since I learned about propagating. If you live in Pensacola, I’ll totally give you some clippings for you to start your collection.
-Decluttering + purging
It feels good to get rid of what isn’t being used and what is taking up space. A clean, well-used space cultivates peace. What do you really need and use? #goodwillherewecome
Mindful consumption / minimizing digital noise
With lots of unaccounted for time on our hands, it’s easy to fall into overconsumption of all media. You are what you consume! For my sabbatical self-care, I’m doing my best consume mostly positivity, cheer + inspiration.
Favorite accounts
YouTube
- The Health Code
- Fight Hustle, End Hurry
- The Heart + Hustle Podcast
- A Longer Table with Manda Carpenter
And if you want to take a media hiatus as a part of your sabbatical self-care, here are some hacks to stay offline
- Do not disturb mode | best discovery of my life
- Turn your phone OFF
- Buy an alarm
- Don’t sleep with your phone in your room
- When you start to wind down for bed, leave your telly at the door! 👋🏼
Thanks for reading + happy quarantine-ing
Other personal posts!
Want to know more of our story?! Lots happened in 2019, read our year in review here!
During 2019, we went to Kauai and we made an Oyler-approved guide to the island.
Aaand if this is your first time here ever, welcome (!!!) and read more about how this lil biz baby got started here.
