To say that this year has been challenging would be the understatement of well, the year. I think about how we've had to be creative with our time and our resources so I decided to put together this guide of self-care ideas that I know we can all use right now. 

1. Take a Walk - Now, I KNOW this is worthy of every obvious eye-roll that you just gave me but hear me out. Open up a map of your city, close your eyes and wherever your finger lands, that's where the adventure starts. This is probably a walk you'll save for the weekend but it'll be something to look forward to. 
2. Virtual Game Night - Sometimes self-care involves many selves. Since we're in the middle of a pandemic and hanging out can literally kill us, Zoom has soon become the new "it" spot. All I know is that a few hours of non-stop laughter is my soul's remedy. 
3. "Keep, Donate, Sell" - This year has brought anxiety like I've never experienced before. Feeling overwhelmed with quarantine and the never-ending pandemic news cycle, I decided that now was the time for a deep clean of my house. I made three piles: one pile was the things that I wanted to keep, the second pile was what I wanted to donate and the third pile was what I wanted to sell. I've gotten REALLY good at posting things onto Poshmark and Marketplace. I love getting that notification that someone wants my egg-bite maker. Things get organized, I get to donate things that I no longer need, I make some extra cash and my anxiety takes a bit of a chill pill. 
4. Water - AGAIN with the eye-rolling! It's so easy to neglect ourselves when we're dealing with constant stress. Everyones stress is different and I'm not going to pretend that we're all going through the exact same things. For me, I tend to not drink enough water and I'll be battling a headache and on the verge of a breakdown until I realize that I didn't drink enough water. I have to actually REMIND myself to drink water, you guys. I keep a gallon of water by bed and by the end of the night that gallon is gone. Life-changing, yall. 
5. Vitamin D - The days are getting darker sooner and it's getting colder and colder. I tend to gravitate toward natural things that bring my mood up. The sun is a natural source of vitamin d and we all could use some time outside. Just don't bake yourself in the sun. 
6. Pedicure Time - Before March, I used to get a weekly pedicure and manicure. Something about a fresh polish always made me feel like I had it together. Although we all know I probably wasn't drinking enough water. I digress...two months into quarantine I couldn't handle my toes looking crazy any longer. I didn't have the fancy stuff that my nail salon had so you know what I did? I grabbed a pot from my kitchen, filled it up with water and heated it up. This pot was more like a skillet but not a skillet...it was an awkward sized pot that my feet fit perfectly in and let me tell you something, it became part of my weekly self-care routine. I know this is going to sound ridiculous but I feel like my feet breathe better after I use the Bahia Honey herbal foot soak. Then slather that yummy Bahia Body Beautiful all over them and thank yourself for taking care of yourself. 
7. GET SLEEP - I am the queen of not sleeping. I get in the bed just so that I can NOT sleep. The crazy thing is is that without adequate sleep, I am miserable. My mind gets cloudy and it's harder to concentrate. I kind of feel lost all day. It's one of the worst things that I do to myself. This past month I've started making myself go to sleep by midnight. I take melatonin at 11:30pm and I'm out by midnight. I have to work at not falling asleep. I wake up earlier every morning and I feel clear and rested. 
8. Watch What You Eat - I don't mean that in a diet way. I mean, are you eating vegetables or have you completely given up? Coronavirus here, coronavirus there...who cares about a vegetable? You know what I'm saying?! I only cared about chocolate chip cookies and iced coffee. I wish I was kidding. 
9. Move That Body - Don't go to the gym. I mean that with every ounce of my being. Many of you won't agree but I just want us to make it out of this feeling ok. Also, most of the gyms are closed so here we are. The internet is FULL of free at-home workouts for every level of fitness. You don't need equipment in order to get a good workout in. Being stuck in the house has been hard mentally and physically. When I incorporate intentional movement into my day, everything feels a little more manageable. 
10. Give Yourself Grace - Listen, we're all dealing with so much right now. It isn't normal to be surviving a pandemic and keeping up with our normal schedules. It's also not sustainable. Let the kids have screen time to give yourself a break to scroll through instagram. Go take a long bath. Throw in some Bahia Honey Lavender Rose Foaming Bath Cubes and luxuriate. Pajamas ARE clothes. Who are we getting dressed up for anyway? If you only have the energy to wear pajamas while keeping everything else in life going, that's ok. Give yourself grace. That's some of the best self-care there is.   

-Summer the Bahia Honey Blogger