It’s not quite time for a full retrospective on 2016, but we sure are shocked that October has crept up on us this fast (although we’re welcoming the cozy month with open arms). We get the sense that January ’17 will arrive much more quickly than we expect as well.
For 2016, we’re awarding ‘the most valuable wellness trend of the year’ award to (opens envelope) self-care. Our winning trend isn’t able to receive their award in person today because, naturally, self-care is still at home – in a bath, likely filled with clay and rose oil, and listening to singing Tibetan bowls on Apple Music.
This year, an evolved sense of self-care has truly begun to cement in our minds – as well as in the minds and practices of so many of the wellness figures we know and love. And we’re not just talking self-care in the generic sense, but self-care in the uber-specific, hyper-intentioned applications that apply to you – now.
Self-care is one of the rare health terms that can instantly conjur up both a huge eye roll and a sigh of relief at the same time. For those allergic to the self-help genre (we get it), self-care makes us feel needy, distracted, and maybe even misguided. (Isn’t the idea in life just to get down to the business of life and deal with blows as they come?)
For those who’ve already embraced wellness in a way that’s had a transformative effect on their way of thinking (whether cutting sugar, amping up the bone broth or a juice cleanse, yoga, tapping or meditation) the idea of self-care stirs up what is at the core of all those efforts to begin with: inner balance.
Self-care is not one size fits all. It’s about little that’s external. And it’s not about living that belly button-gazing life full-time. Most importantly, any effort toward self-care is of little effect unless it’s about one person in particular: YOU. And how you feel in response to your own efforts to care for yourself.
Self-care can look like anything: working out more or working out less. Resting more or hustling your passion harder. The key to caring can only be found within yourself and we love that so many food experts, nutrition coaches, fitness studios and wellness pros are helping their circles and clients tap into that very thing.
Three Key Tenets of Self-Care
Redefining self-care
Self-care is nothing new. And there’s been a great deal of effort made by the wellness community to help people discover every flavor in the rainbow of self-caring methods.
The truth is, unless a method truly resonates with you and fits the needs you currently have, syncing up with other people’s ideas of self-care is not the full goal here. Whether you’re needing to destress, get motivated, find meaning or balance your self-image, those ‘ah-ha’ moments we’re all looking for are usually only triggered by a class, book or method. The actual moment is all you. What do you need right now? The evolution of self-care is all about defining that for yourself as an individual and leaning in all the way.
A few favorite tools
While finding your personal path to self-care is everything, a few modalities we’re finding especially helpful right now include…
Intentional Breathwork: Simple, deeply relaxing, transformative Join our workshop October 23rd.
Intelligent Eating: Deeply nourishing foods can do more for our state of mind than we think. Read more
Emotional Journaling: You can’t escape the truth when you put it down on the page. On junk emotions
Getting specific
Finally, you can give self-care all the lip service you want, but if you’re not taking a beat between bed and bagel for a couple of deep breaths, actually leaving the office at a reasonable hour from time to time for a sweat, a sync up with a friend or a meditation sesh, you’re not bringing all the benefits you believe in to life.
Habits aren’t made quickly – and not broken quickly either. If you want to make self-care a priority, create a self-care calendar that makes sense for you and find reasonable ways to work in time for new habits that matter.
