What’s the secret to resilience?

I polled a few of my most resilient friends, and I think the special sauce might be UNAPOLOGETIC time for ourselves. What does this look like?

On a regular basis, it means we put ourselves in our calendars first.

For many people, putting yourself in your calendar starts with dedicated time to work out. I personally build my entire morning around when I will work out - whether that’s a walk with a friend, a yoga class with Mindy, or some body-weight exercises in my attic. I prioritize my workout because it’s the single best way for me to keep my mental and emotional spirit in balance, and it feels good to move my physical body at the start of the day.

Once weekly, usually early on Sunday mornings, I do a little self-care routine after i finish my 5 minutes of morning meditation. It’s my mini Self-Care Sunday. Here are some of my favorite activities!

Scalp Massager

Turn your shower into a spa experience. Simply suds-up with your shampoo and then use the scalp massager to gently lift the dead skin cells (!) from your scalp. At the same time, you’ll sooth all the delicious nerve endings on your head that deserve some love and attention.

Body Massager

Okay, this massager for $38.99 might be THE BEST MONEY you’re ever going to spend. My nanny received as a gift for Mother’s Day and let me try it for a weekend, and I was in HEAVEN. You can use it on your neck & shoulders, lower back, legs - literally wherever you’re feeling tight! You control the pressure of the massager with your arms in the slings, so you can be as easy or rigorous as you want.

And — the best part — it makes you SIT DOWN & REST for a little while.

Facial Roller & Gua Sha

Feeling like your complexion is looking a little sallow? Re-invigorate your rosy cheeks with a soothing sodalite roller and Gua She tool. It’s so easy!

For the facial roller, just cleanse and moisturize your face, and then gently roll in multiple directions on your face, neck and chest.

For the Gua Sha tool, start with a clean face and add a few drops of facial oil, and then use the tool to smoothe out any crunchies in the delicate fascia in your face, neck and tops of shoulders. It should feel good, not painful. Do one half of the face so that you can see the difference side to side!

If you’re feeling too much fire (i.e. hot!) & need some cooling, you can chill the tools in the fridge for a bit before you use them!

Face & Foot Exfoliation

Let’s talk about our faces for a hot second. There are SO MANY harsh scrubs on the market. Don’t use them! You disrupt the top layer of your skin and just cause redness and irritation. Take a line from my mom Marleen (who literally has REVERSE-AGED over the course of the last 10 years), and use Environ’s facial oil and clay mask combination. What’s great is that it’s gentle and only allows your to remove the dead skin cells that are ready to go. Call my mom and she will send you the products and teach you how to use them!

Nothing beats baby-soft feet. Sure, it’s nice to have them exfoliated at the spa, but you can get THE BEST at-home foot exfoliation with a kit from Personal Wellness Spa. Simply cut open the packages, slide your tootsies in, and SIT DOWN for an hour while you read and relax. Then wash off the solution. About 5 or 6 days later, all the dead skin on your feet will peel off! It’s amazing!!