MegaFood | Nov. 2019

Every few years, a new trend comes along that is easy to get behind. While lots of fads live and die fast (and aren’t necessarily advisable), ‘self-care’ is one that we’re taking the long-view on, and recommending others do the same - after all, you can only live your best when you feel your best!

“Self-care” is, most simply, any activity we do to take care of or benefit our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It may seem easy, but it can be a challenge to prioritize on a day-to-day basis. After all, we are inundated with tasks and to-do’s that pull our focus in a million different directions, keep us up at night, and sometimes stretch us to our limits. If we don’t reinvest some of the energy we give back into ourselves, it’s easy to get run down (or worse!).

When you already have too much to keep up with, carving out time for yourself might not seem like the best use of your finite minutes, but remember that it doesn’t need to mean a full day at the spa (though that couldn’t hurt!)- it’s specifically what makes you happy.

Reconsider self-care and see if you can incorporate one or more of the following tips into your routine so you can start to take care of yourself as well as you take care of everyone else:

• Take a cooking class
  • Have fun, learn new skills, and meet new people while emphasizing fresh whole foods for you and your family.
• Book that trip
  • Weekend getaway you’ve been meaning to plan? Just DO IT!
• Reconsider naptime
  • Naptime isn’t just for the kiddos. Set aside 20 minutes for a refreshing cat-nap, and wake up refreshed AND more productive!
• Phone-free mornings
  • A lot of our daily stressors radiate from the blocks of technology that we keep ourselves tethered to at all times - our smartphones. Consider going phone-free for the first half-hour of the morning after you wake up. Instead, use this time to make your tea, stretch, pet the cat, watch the sunrise, and take stock of the day.
• Take a bath instead of a shower
  • Diffuse some relaxing essential oils, bring in your favorite book, and lets the warm water soak your stress away
• Phone a friend
  • It’s tempting to want to do it all by ourselves, but we don’t have to. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, or lean on your friends and family.
• Try an exercise class with a friend
  • Get your endorphins running and probably a lot of laughs in too. Both are wonderful for your health.
• Buy a plant
  • Not only do they brighten up a space, they literally help us breathe!
• Pay it forward
  • Doing something nice for someone that is unexpected is truly rewarding. Buy someone’s coffee, leave an extra tip, volunteer at a local shelter or even mail your friend a card just-because.
• Treat yourself to a new book or magazine
  • Guilty pleasure or not, losing yourself in a good read is sometimes just the little bit of me-time you need. Wine optional!
• Don’t skip meals
  • You’re flat out all day, and someone just booked a meeting over your lunch break. You might be tempted to skip lunch, but don’t! Make healthy, wholesome meals a priority so you have the nutrition and energy to get through it all.
• Take your multi!
  • Of course we feel like taking a multivitamin daily is self-care, right? But by making a point to take your multi, you’re reminding yourself that your health comes first, while ensuring the nutritional gaps in your diet are a thing of the past.

Self-care doesn’t have to be intimidating, or all-or-nothing, but it should be a priority. We all want to feel our best, after all. But if you should find yourself torn between whether or not you have time for that warm cup of herbal tea and a bite of dark chocolate between meetings, remember the wise words of Benjamin Franklin - “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” - and you enjoy that little treat.

Interested in our idea for multivitamin self-care? Tablets, powders and chews, we’ve got options for you! Learn more.

Want to learn more about our farm partners and how we’re committed to organic and regenerative agriculture for a more sustainable future? Read more.