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self-care

Take in a deep breath. Unclench your jaw and relax your shoulders. Breathe out slowly.

Did you feel a release there? A little relief?

With our daily routines so altered this past few years, it’s important to make little moments like this for ourselves throughout the day. But working from home, where it can feel like there’s no separation between work life and home life, it can be difficult to make the effort to experience these moments. We end up becoming balls of stress, eyes red from the computer screen, neck and back in bits from hunching over a laptop and finding it difficult to wind down after transforming from ‘Work Me’ to ‘Home Me’.

There are ways to combat this tension that can build up during the day. By trying out just a few of these mindful moments throughout the day, we can actually increase our productivity, find it easier to relax after a day’s work and feel more motivated throughout our workday. Here are ten little mindful practices that only take a few minutes to reset your head.

De-clutter your space

Taking a little time each morning or evening to clear up your space can make the world of difference. Making your bed and putting away pyjamas, opening your curtains and picking just 5 things off of your bedroom floor makes it a more soothing place to return to after a long day. Alternatively, put away things on your desk and organise it in a way that is conducive to a smoother workday. Instead of head-melting piles of paper, just taking ten minutes at the end of each day to file away documents in their proper place to save on stress the next day. It could make the world of difference, and make you feel that little bit more on top of things.

Do a ten-minute yoga or exercise routine in the morning before breakfast

Taking just ten minutes to wake your body up can change how you view the rest of your day. Shaking off the sleepiness and getting your blood flowing will give you a burst of energy that you can ride through the morning on, making you more productive and focused. It will also give you a chance to connect with yourself and take a little time to reflect and check in with yourself before the day begins.

Do a quick meditation at some point in your day

We all hit a point in our day when we slump. Our heads become fried, overloaded with tasks or information. This file is missing or that email never came through. It can be easy to lose perspective. Taking just a few minutes to switch off and disconnect from the demands of the world can get you right back on track. There are plenty of short meditations on YouTube that can give you whatever you need in that moment; energy, calm, positivity or relaxation. 

Visualise your daily goals in the morning

Going in to work with a cluttered head is almost as bad as a cluttered desk. We stumble our way through the day, going from this to that, finding it difficult to settle and accomplish tasks. But starting your day with a quick self-check list about what you want to achieve with this day can bring order and direction. However, it is important to be realistic. Allow for the limits of your body and mind. Over-scheduling can just bring on more stress, rather than reducing it. Be kind to yourself.

Experience the outside world

Whether you’re on your lunch break, or up early to catch the sunrise, make sure to stop and check in with nature for a few minutes every day. Not only does being outside have the benefit of waking us up with fresh air, but it can regulate our sleeping pattern also.

Do a body scan

Our body can give us lots of indicators as to how we’re really feeling, even if our brain hasn’t caught up yet. Whether we actually listen to it or not, however, is up to us. Body scans throughout the day can put us back in touch with our bodies and are a quick and easy way to take a moment for yourself at your desk. Pay close attention to the areas where there is tension or unease in the body. Breathe into those spaces, slowly and gently releasing them. Move up and down your body, giving each specific part the time it needs to relax.

Cook yourself a nice meal

This may seem like standard self-care, but it’s all in the way that you approach the task. For some, coming home to cook after a long day of work is the absolute last thing they want to do. But if we shift our attitude just slightly from ‘I have to do this’ to ‘I get to do this’, we can change the whole practice. You get to nurture yourself with good food. You get to prepare a home-cooked meal for yourself and really take care of your body by what you put into it. Transform a mundane task into something relaxing, with a little music, some good food and a mindset change.

Do something creative

Whether that’s doing a full face of makeup, reading a book, making a new Pinterest board or even just a little mindless doodling, give your brain an outlet to disconnect from the demands made of it during your work hours. Allowing you brain to move away from the analytical side that is usually engaged during the day to the creative side can be a release for the stresses that can surround you in work.

Keep a journal

Often, it can be difficult to express why we are feeling certain ways. Keeping a journal for no one’s eyes but your own, allows you to release your thoughts as they are – disordered, messy and contradictory – on to the page. They no longer clog up your brain waiting for you to make sense of them. Whether you burn the pages or keep it to see your mindfulness journey, this is a great exercise for release of worries. Some prefer a more guided method than just outpouring onto the page and there are plenty of prompts online to write about for a few minutes each day to centre yourself, like; How can I add positivity to my life today? What do I need to forgive myself for? What am I in control of right now?

Make a morning and night routine

By setting aside time in the mornings and evenings that are just for you – even if it’s only five or ten minutes each, we consciously focus on how we’re feeling. It can take stress out of the mornings, by having a focal point around which the start your day and also help you to wind down at night. Whether these routines revolve around your morning coffee and evening herbal tea or even just your morning and night time skincare routines, they allow you to have a sense of structure, help you to slow down and give stability at the start and end of day.

Mindfulness helps us to change destructive habits, builds our resilience and improves our daily lives. Now that you have ten easy little ways to do it, there’s no excuse!

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The only promise I have made to myself this summer is to take better care of myself, which means this summer is going to be my time for self-care. I am guilty of neglecting myself and end up feeling burnt out and pretty low so I'm focusing on me this time.

People throw the term self-care around a lot and it can lose it meaning when it’s solely associated with buying Lush bath bombs and painting your nails, but self-care isn't just about manicures and face masks.

There are so many things you can do to look after both your mental and physical health so I thought I’d put a list of my top self-care tips together that don’t revolve around you spending half a day's wages in Boots.

1. Book your smear test

2. Cleanse your skin twice

3. Take a multivitamin in the morning

4. Stop drinking caffeinated drinks after 6pm

5. Take your full lunch break

6. Delete take-away apps off your phone

7. Get off the bus a stop early and walk 

8. Listen to podcasts when you feel anxious

9. Use all of your annual leave

10. Don’t drink coffee when you’re due your period

11. Go to therapy

12. Eat some vegetables

13. Eat some chocolate

14. Buy yourself flowers

15. Drink 8 glasses of water a day

16. Stop comparing yourself to people on social media

17. Watch an old movie from your childhood 

18. Go to the dentist

19. Read at least ten pages of a book every day

20. Go to the cinema by yourself

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A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of supplying the deadly drugs which led to the death of rapper Mac Miller.

The performer died at the age of 26 in his home last September, after ingesting counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl. 

Federal charges were made yesterday against Cameron James Pettit for supposedly supplying the Self Care singer the drugs.

NBC News obtained a 42-page criminal complaint, which says that Pettit was approached by Mac Miller in order to request 'percs' (slang term for oxycodone painkiller Percocet) and other drugs.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Mac Miller (@macmillerdivine) on

He was given forgeries containing fentanyl, xanax and cocaine instead, which led to his death. His passing was considered as an accidental overdose, as he also had alcohol and cocaine in his system.

The document claims that Pettit, a sex worker and a madam directly connected to Pettit, delivered to the rapper twice in the days prior to his death

Daniel C. Comeaux, DEA Los Angeles Deputy Special Agent in Charge told the website following the arrest:

"While the death of any victim of the opioid epidemic is tragic, today’s arrest is another success for the DEA’s HIDTA Fusion Task Force."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Mac Miller (@macmillerdivine) on

"Let our message be clear, if you peddle illegal drugs and kill someone, the DEA will be the voice of the victim. We will not rest until you face the justice system."

The rapper, born Malcolm James McCormack, has been honoured numerous times in the year since his death at events, vigils, and ceremonies.

Ariana Grande dated the rapper for two years, and led a Coachella tribute this year in hs name. His parents also attended the Grammy Awards in his honour.

Feature image: Instagram/@macmillerdivine

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Self-help books have been growing in popularity over the past decade and we can’t help but wonder do they actually work?

The shelves of bookstores are now jampacked with titles about the best ways to improve your life; from diets that will make you happier to ways to cut out toxic people from your life.

It’s safe to say there isn’t a lack of advice out there, but do these books stay true to their promise?

Illustration: Lisk Feng

When it comes to Love For Imperfect Things, the answer is yes.

The second novel by Zen Buddhist Haemin Sunim is the one book you just need to add to your to-read list in 2019.

The uplifting and beautifully-illustrated book is full of nuggets of wisdom that you’ll carry with you long after you’ve finished reading.

You know that feeling when you curl up on the sofa with a cup of warm tea after a long, draining day at work? That’s the feeling you get when you read Love For Imperfect Things.

It lifts you up with positive yet honest advice that is actually easy to incorporate into your day-to-day life.

Each chapter is full of reassuring tales and pages of encouraging quotes that will help you through each day.

Love For Imperfect Things was my companion on dull train journeys to the office for the past week and I found that even reading a mere 10 pages helped boost my spirits on rainy mornings and gloomy evenings.

The words of Haemin Sunim were comforting and heartwarming. The stories he shares are personal which help you accept the advice he shares far easier than your average self-help book.

Love For Imperfect Things shares realistic advice that will truly help you accept the person you are instead of pressuring yourself to be the perfect, flawless person the world expects you to be.

The book doesn’t force you to take up eccentric hobbies or to try obscene diets, it simply encourages you to be kind to yourself. Something we can all admit we neglect at the best of times.

Illustration: Lisk Feng

It is a book you will turn to in times of doubt, worry and fear. It will give you the guidance and reassurance you desperately need on the good and bad days.

Love For Imperfect Things by Haemin Sunim is published by Penguin Life. Treat yourself to a copy for €12.99 from all good bookstores.

Feature Image: Haemin Sunim Instagram

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We don’t need to be told to look after to our faces. This is where the vast majority of people at least cleanse. The rest of the body, however, is often neglected when it shouldn’t be. There are plenty of skin concerns that are more likely to appear on the rest of the body than on the face, such as keratosis pilaris (more commonly known as chicken skin), dry, scaly skin and cellulite.

If you want to see results when it comes to concerns of the body, you need to be using results-driven body products!

 

Chicken Skin aka Keratosis Pilaris

Keratosis pilaris, KP, or chicken skin, is usually found on the back of the arms but it can actually be found anywhere on the body. It looks like very small reddish, pinkish or flesh-coloured dots and has a bumpy texture. It is incredibly common amongst Irish hoomans… In fact, it may be the reason we’re so fond of a cardigan.

KP is caused by an overproduction of keratin, a key skin protein, which means that there is a traffic jam within the pore, leading to the signature bumps. This isn’t a one-time issue – this is how your skin operates so it needs a helping hand to shift things out of the pore.

Taking vitamin A and omega supplements will help to ease your KP as well as cleansing the area with an exfoliating acid wash!

Dry, Scaly Body Skin

Dryness or a scaly appearance or texture to the skin is a sign that you’re lacking in essential fatty acids (omegas). Omegas boost your skin’s barrier function and hydrate from the inside out so if you’re prone to “elephant elbows”, make sure you’re getting them into you.

Cellulite

Cellulite happens to a majority, not a minority, of hoomans. It is incredibly common, especially in us women. You cannot completely banish cellulite per se but you can improve blood circulation and lymphatic drainage through body brushing. I body brush on the daily and I see an improvement when I’m doing it versus when I’m not doing it.

Eating healthy food rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals doesn’t help with cellulite directly. However, nutrient-rich food assists our body in the creation of collagen and aids skin cells in protecting themselves which can have a knock on effect when it comes to the formation of cellulite. Think about how you’re fuelling your body!

Jennifer’s debut book, “The Skin Nerd: Your Straight-Talking Guide To Feeding, Protecting & Respecting Your Skin”, is out now, available from Eason and Dubray Books! For more information on how to look after the skin on your body, join the Nerd Network!

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From smashing lipsticks to ASMR videos to watching pottery spin, there are plenty of self care and relaxation-based videos on the internet.

Some videos, such as makeup destruction and bath bomb art, are inexplicably soothing.

Scrolling through Instagram, we stumbled upon these amazing glitter mixing videos, and were completely mesmerised. 

 Uploaded by Jazzy Glitter, the colour and texture combinations are amazingly relaxing, as well as making us seriously excited for festival season.

Jazzy Glitter is an epic Etsy store, selling hand mixed glitter makeup for festivals and costumes.

 

A post shared by Jazzy Glitter (@jazzy_glitter) on

With a huge repertoire of  shades and glitter styles, we could watch these mixing videos for hours.

From the hypnotic brush swirls to the shimmering sparkles, we're hooked.

Check them out for yourself:

 

 

A post shared by Jazzy Glitter (@jazzy_glitter) on

 

A post shared by Jazzy Glitter (@jazzy_glitter) on

 

A post shared by Jazzy Glitter (@jazzy_glitter) on

Feature image: Instagram / Jazzy_glitter

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Demi Lovato has been busy spreading messages of self-love and body-confidence across social media this week. 

The singer developed bulimia at a young age and has been incredibly open and honest about her journey to recovery ever since.

Demi often stresses the importance of self-care and encourages her fans to love themselves for who they are.

She has come a long way, and her latest posts prove it. 

 

I don't have a thigh gap and I'm still beautiful the way I am. #recovery #selflove #EVERYbodyisbeautiful

A post shared by Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) on

For World Health Day, the star took to instagram with this message for her followers:

"Every day you have the chance to turn it all around. Take care of your body and mind, and it will take care of you back."

Earlier in the week, Demi posted a series of tweets in which she spoke openly about her eating disorder and reminded us all that we are so much more than our clothes size.

The star's words of wisdom are something we could all take on board.

Cut yourself some slack and learn to accept and love the things you can't change – just like Demi has. 

Oh, and while we have you; don't forget to have your say in the inaugural SHEmazing Awards this May! It's time to vote, and you can do it right here!

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