i always try to carve out any open time to take care of myself. as i get older, i realize how much harder it is to take good care of myself between full days of work, combined with friends and family things, and taking care of the home. these beauty and self care habits are the best things that i’ve ever done for myself. i’ve seen so many heath benefits to my skin, body and mental health.  

1. early morning walks – on a daily basis, i always go for a walk. i try to move my body for my mental health and overall well-being. this is where i pull the most inspiration! this clears my mind and reminds myself where i want to be in the future and what my goals are. i actually have little notes in my iPhone where i capture those fleeting thoughts that pop through my mind.  

2. create highlights throughout the day – such as a coffee break, a delicious meal, or an evening with people i love. anything that makes you feel peaceful and calm. 

3. a good night’s sleep – make your bedroom your haven. you want maximum comfort, so buy quality pillows, comforter, mattress/mattress pad, blackout curtains. something else is if you’re watching something before bed, try to consume something calming or neutral. as far as waking up in the morning, i find alarms to be irritating but if you must use one, go with Hatch Restore. i’m very passionate about sleep and it’s important to optimize your sleep so you are healing and regenerating yourself for the next day. 

4. i don’t drink alcohol – i really listen to my body and alcohol just doesn’t do it for me and it hasn’t for a lot of years. it’s funny because whenever i try to drink alcohol and think that i’ll like it, i just end up paying a lot of money to take 2 sips. i recently listened to the Huberman Lab podcast by Andrew Huberman: What Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain & Health and it solidified scientifically why i’ll continue not drinking alcohol. the goal of the podcast episode is to help people make informed decisions about their alcohol consumption. 

5. routine – to create efficiency – i try to make fewer choices by being routined. i have a general wellness routine, nighttime routine. of course this doesn’t always go to plan but it does help as life changes and gets fuller and busier. the point being, we can easily feel decision fatigue so early in the day by making a lot of decisions. this helps your brain to not be too tired when it comes to making good decisions.  

6. try not to eat genetically modified foods – i try my best to not eat genetically modified foods, which makes a big difference. i know it’s a privilege to buy organic foods like organic dairy, grass fed for meats, pastured raised eggs, however if you can adjust your budget and spending to buy foods with the best ingredients, do it. you want to eat foods that are easily digestible and healthy for your gut. 

6. ice – i’m obsessed with all things cold. i’ve been loving ice, ice roller, cold, icy bath. there are so many benefits like boosting immune function and metabolism, combatting inflammation and so much more. i’ve been using this contour cube tool and ice roller for my morning ice facials. both are relaxing and so much fun to use. the ice roller is in paid partnership with Amazon.