Self care natures way is the simple inexpensive way to care for yourself. Offering good health to your body mind and spirit; and without the gym fees!
The wide and welcoming outdoors is the perfect place to practice refueling and recharging yourself. Just as a car needs constant refueling and care, we need to “refuel” with self-care.
With a little awareness and intention, your time spent outdoors can be even more valuable for your well-being. Long beaches, mountain trails and warm weather invite us to enjoy some self care natures way. Spending time in the sun and fresh air. If you’re camping, hiking, and getting outside for activities that bring you joy, you’re likely already participating in some self-care practices without even knowing it.
The following outdoor self care natures way are proven to help you recharge and heal.
Stop and smell the Roses
Flowers have been proven to have numerous benefits for your brain. These include relieving stress, boosting your mood and memory,and improving sleep. All of which improve emotional well being.
“Common sense tells us that flowers make us happy,” said Dr. Haviland-Jones of Rutgers University. “Now, science shows that not only do flowers make us happier than we know, they have strong positive effects on our emotional well being.”
Chinese Medicine Practitioners believe flowers aid us in cultivating qualities like joy and peace. The vibrant colours and variety of scent stimulate our senses. This triggers the production of the calming hormone Melatonin, and elevates our mood with production of the hormone Serotonin.
Take daily walks
A daily 30 minute walk has been cited as the single most important thing we can do to improve our health.
Daily walking will increase your metabolism and keep it working at a much faster rate. Some of the benefits of walking include: Burns calories faster, Strengthens the heart, Lowers blood sugar, Eases joint pain, Boosts immune function, Boost your energy, Improve your mood, Extend your life.
Unplug and unwind.
We are surrounded by artificial lighting and electronics. Many of us are also persistently digesting stimulants like coffee. These compromise our natural sleep patterns and rhythms by keeping us hyped up and unable to relax. A simple practice is to unplug from your phone, TV and computer at least three hours before bed, and lowering your caffeine intake.
Getting outside into the natural light to watch the sunrise, or an evening sunset, can help you reset your natural sleep rhythm. Why not make a night of it and sleep under the stars?
Soak your stress away
Bath salts have long been used as an easy and inexpensive way to treat mental and physical health ailments. Epsom salt or sea salt and Bicarbonate Soda, are easily dissolved in warm bath water and used for everything from stress relief to aches and pains.
A relaxing soak in the bath salts are believed to provide health benefits for: muscle pain and stiffness, stiff aching joints, arthritis, circulation problems, headaches, anxiety and stress, skin conditions such as eczema, dry and itchy skin, and more.
An alternative is to visit a hot spring for a healthy soak; coupled with a day of being outdoors and unplugged.
Grow your greens
Gardening is a mindful meditative practice. Allowing us to connect with the earth and to be in the present moment. It is a great outdoor exercise and a natural stress reliever that improves your health.
Growing your own vegetables not only helps reduce your food bill, but will have you consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables. One of the most important things you can do to stay healthy.
Gardening is a form of “Earthing” if you. By digging in with your bare hands you also get to enjoy the benefits of Earthing.
Walk outside with bare feet
Go outside, take off your shoes, and walk on the grass! Walking barefoot is a practice known as “Earthing” or “Grounding”. Beneficial to our health and well-being because the negative ions from the earth help absorb positive ions within us that cause disease.
Research shows that physical contact with the natural supply of electrons on the earths surface is beneficial to our health. Modern living with cement floors, tarred walkways,and rubber sole shoes inhibits this essential contact. We’ve become indoor dwellers, while in truth, we are beings who thrive in the outdoors.
This with the disconnect with the earth is being shown to be a major contributor to physiological dysfunction and general un-wellness. The release of positive ions can be emotionally cleansing.
Why not get out and dance in the rain? Try taking a swim in the ocean or a river!
Take a picnic in the park
Get out into nature, unplug from the world, and tune in with yourself!
What better way than with a basket of your favourite healthy foods to savour outdoors without noise or distraction? A great way for you to Self Care Natures Way, lying on the grass in self reflection, barefoot and with the great blue sky above you .