So we’ve all heard that taking a salt bath or bubble bath is an excellent way to practice self care but what about other ways to unwind and care for ourselves? Read on for seven of my favorite ways to drop into some self care. 

1. Spend time in Nature

In this article Jill Suttie states “Scientists are beginning to find evidence that being in nature has a profound impact on our brains and our behavior, helping us to reduce anxiety, brooding, and stress, and increase our attention capacity, creativity, and our ability to connect with other people.” Read more here, get out into the natural world as often as you can and reap the benefits of doing so even for a short time. 

2. Dance to your favorite song

Movement and breath are some of the quickest ways to shift our state. Putting on a favorite song takes our self care to the next level. Take the space of only one song, dance your face off and notice how much different you feel when you allow your body to express. 

3. Call a friend

We are social mammals and it’s true that we need each other. Next time you are feeling like you need a moment or bit of self care time, call a friend. Connecting with others reminds us that we are not alone. It can be easy to isolate and get in our heads. Connecting with others helps us to bring things back into perspective and relax. This is important for most everyone, even introverts who tend to recharge by being alone. Even if you are more of an introvert, send a text or call a friend to connect. 

4. Hum or Ohm

Humming and/or chanting the sound of Ohm stimulates the Vagus nerve which “wanders” throughout our body. When we stimulate the Vagus nerve we can bring about a feeling of full body relaxation as we come into the parasympathetic nervous system state or “rest and digest”. This is my one of my favorite ways to practice relaxing and self care! Try it sometime soon.

5. Write a gratitude list

Gratitude is another powerful practice and science is finally able to measure what folks have known for centuries. One way to practice gratitude beside a list is to make a gratitude jar. When something uplifting happens you can write a little note about it and put it in a jar.

6. Practice gentle yoga asana 

Practicing yoga has massive health benefits (click here for more info). There are millions of hours of yoga on youtube and yoga is free to learn about. Find a teacher that you like and really show up for yourself. Find a way to gently move your body with an external guide or with guidance from within. For access to a free yin yoga class video with Brennah, join the email newsletter tribe here.  

7. Notice (ie. slow down)

Take a sacred pause in your busy day. Breathe in for 4 seconds. Hold the breath for 2 seconds. Exhale for 8 seconds, slow the exhale waaayyyy down. 

Do this eleven times and see how you feel. Deep breathing also stimulates the Vagus nerve. Notice physical sensation in the body as you breathe. Notice where the mind goes. 

This has been seven ways to practice self care that aren’t bubble baths. I hope you enjoyed it. Practicing one, some or all of these this week can help to create a sense of peace and calm in your day. Have a magical one!

Photo Credit: Auraginal Photography (@auraginal_photography)