One of my favorite parts of the wellness community is learning from others about what they do to nurture their souls and be a better version of themselves. Lyndsey over at Chill Concepts is the perfect example of someone I love to catch up with and get to know. She’s a writer, book lover and free-spirited individual that hails from New Orleans. Since we both are super passionate about self-care, we thought it would be great to share our conversation with the community on what it means to us, why it’s so important, and what we do to recharge.
For clarity's sake, Lyndsey's answers are in italics and mine are bold.
What does self-care mean to you?
Self-care is so important to me because I went so long depriving myself of it. Misery poured over into every other aspect of my life because I failed to take the time and look out for myself. Since those days are in the past (thank ya Lord), I really do see a difference in how I deal with adversity and stress. Also, I look forward to taking care of me, you know? It's a good thing, people. Get into it! What about you?
I couldn’t agree more, Lyndsey. Self-care is what keeps me going, even on the rough days. As someone who suffers from anxiety and depression, it can be easy for me to fall into a slump that feels impossible to get out of. When I began incorporating more self-care into my life, I saw a huge change in my outlook on life and the way I saw the world. Everything got a lot more manageable. I was noticeably more happy and positive. I honestly have no clue how I had gone this long without it. The wonderful thing about taking time for yourself is that it’s ever-evolving. You never have to stick to one routine if it isn’t fulfilling you in the way you need to. A year ago, I did a ton of bullet journaling and affirmations as my primary forms of nurturing my spirit. Now, I’ve started a few new things, but you go first. How do you kick yourself back into gear?
How do you recharge?
I find myself frequently unplugging from the world when I feel drained and in need of a self-care session. I'll go ghost with a good book and pop back up when I feel like it. For me, this creates peace in my world no matter what. I do consider myself a loner, so spending time with self always gets me feeling recharged and like my usual self again.
When I need to recharge, I love to light a candle (my favorite is Winter Wonderland from H&B), keep one small light on and read a good book. When I was younger, I used to read a book or two per week. Though I’m certainly not at that level again, it’s been so nice to bring a habit from my childhood back into my life. Sometimes I need to be still in order to bring myself back into alignment, but other times I need movement. Yoga has been an amazing source of release for me. I began regularly practicing during Summer 2017 and let me tell y’all, it was life changing. Practicing yoga is like an infusion of both meditation and physical exercise -- my energy healer tells me I need to do both! I’ve found that whenever I have pent up feelings, it’s easiest for me to release them after I’ve done yoga. The last thing I love to do when I want to recharge is cooking. My therapist tried to get me to do it way back during my sophomore year and in typical Ayo fashion, I totally brushed it off until I began cooking more complex recipes for myself in California. When I cook, not only do I have to give it my undivided attention, but there’s also a feeling of knowing that I’m cooking to nourish myself. I’m using my own two hands to make sure that I can live and be fed to the best of my ability. It always feels really soothing. Okay, here’s a harder one: what can’t you live without?
What is your self-care essential?
One key self-care essential for me is meditation. I know it's heavily talked about in these streets these days, but for good reason. Meditation, especially guided meditations, have really helped me become much more calm and centered. I truly live in my own world most times and I love it. Let's say something abrupt throws off the flow of my day or someone pisses me off; the old, non-meditating Lyndsey that wasn't aware of her breathing would get all worked up and stressed out. I’d probably lose it and be in a mood for however long. That’s not the wave anymore! Now, I let things and people go, I let situations pass, and I keep moving on with the flow of life. Wrapping it up now, what’s your go-to?
This is a really simple one, but I’ve got to say drinking water. The more water I drink in a day, the less tired I feel. It’s energizing for me and keeps me from feeling sluggish even when I’m tired.
Everyone is different, and sometimes a little perspective can spark even more great ideas to add to your own self-care routine! Lyndsey has a wonderful approach, and you can read more about it on her blog, Chill Concepts, or follow her on Twitter.