We should never underestimate the power of staying in & taking time out to enjoy our own company & space. Embracing this kind of quality alone & down time can be particularly inspiring & has range of benefits for our health. I feel very passionately about taking time out for regular self- care, it elevates mood, promotes good mental health, productivity, wellbeing, strengthens relationships & fosters a positive connection to our mind and body. Self-care can mean a range of different things to different people, but simply put by the Oxford Dictionary it is ‘the practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness’. So I wanted to share with you 10 simple stay at home luxuries (which I believe are a form of self-care) that I indulge in regularly.
Soaking in the bath. Salts, bath bombs, bubbles, whatever you fancy. Sink into the tub with a book, Netflix, podcast, glass of red & just let the day melt away. If you want to enjoy some solitude, light candles, incense or play some soft relaxing music, disconnect from technology & just enjoy the simple pleasure of being enveloped in warm water. If you don't have a bath, try my natural organic face & body scrub in the shower for an all over rejuvenation & deep clean .
Slow cooking a hearty dinner. If you have a slow cooker fantastic, if not you can prepare easily in a cast iron pot & pop in the oven. Find yourself a simple recipe, ideally one that just requires chopping ingredients and chucking into the pot. Prep in the morning, turn on the cooker, set and forget until dinner time. Set the table, pour some wine & plate up your delicious homemade soul food. Serve with some fresh bread as if you were dining at a restaurant. I also love slow cooking because of the minimal washing up required and usually there is yummy left overs.
DIY hair treatment. Bring a little tropical infusion into your home with this warm coconut hair treatment. Coconut oil is jam packed with goodness like calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium; and if you have dry, damaged hair from excessive colouring or styling, then this treatment will restore your hair back to how it should look – thicker, shinier and lustrous. It is also a fantastic remedy for scalp problems like dryness, itchiness and dandruff. It also contains lauric acid, which has anti fungal and antimicrobial properties, as well as moisturising and calming benefits.
Schedule 30 minutes every few weeks for this gorgeous hair treatment that will take all your senses on an aromatic journey.
You will need:
A small bowl
10mls of coconut oil or about 2 teaspoons if it’s solid! Just make sure your coconut oil is ethically sourced.
5 drops of your favourite essential oils
A slightly larger bowl than the small bowl.
Wide toothed comb
Towel – have a look at our microfibre hair wrap here >>
Relaxing Music
First fill the bigger bowl with hot water. Place your oil and essential oil in the smaller bowl. Sit the bowl inside the bigger bowl that is filled with hot water. Allow 5 minutes for the oil to warm.
Turn on some soothing music and grab a cup of your favourite herbal tea. Next Take a nice deep breath in…and then exhale. Repeat 3 times.
Slowly massage the warm oil into your scalp and through your hair. Gently comb through right to the ends. Being mindful of each breath as you go.
To seal in the nourishment, wrap your hair in some cling wrap or a warm towel – the heat caused from this will help lock in and penetrate the nutrients.
You can leave it for 30 minutes, an hour or even overnight [I personally love overnight as it gives plenty of time to feed + nourish the hair while you sleep].
Fresh Blooms. Have you ever noticed how hotels & restaurants usually have fresh flower displays at their entries or small arrangements on the tables? It’s really no wonder, fresh flowers are not only beautiful took look at, they are known to have a range of other benefits including reducing stress and increasing happiness! Having fresh flowers in your home is not just great for aesthetics, they also freshen the air, increase creativity, boost your mood & create a positive energy in the space. I personally like to choose flowers that have a generous aroma & try to pick a bunch that have some buds that are yet to bloom as I love watching each day as they open up to the world.
Crisp Linen Sheets. We all know there is nothing better than flopping into a freshly made bed, or even better the perfectly laundered sheets of a hotel bed. Well, let me tell you that you can recreate this experience at home. I know most of us dread ironing & once upon a time I was in that camp. This was until I invested in a steam iron & changed my perspective on the task at hand. What I had believed was a traditional chore I chose to embrace as a small sacred ritual. A beautiful life means doing household chores with mindfulness. A beautiful life is determined by how one looks at everyday situations and chores. With my steam iron, a clean declutter space, some music & essential oils burning I actually find ironing very therapeutic and a moment to really switch off to the noise. My tips for crisp linen sheets is to iron with precision & to make your own starch. Add one tablespoon of corn-starch to spray bottle, fill with water and shake well until corn-starch is dissolved. If you like a heavier starch for shirt collars and cuffs, just add one teaspoon additional corn-starch to the water until you get the stiffness you desire. Shake before use and store in the refrigerator between ironing sessions. Keep the fresh feeling even longer by spritzing your linen with our Alpine Rain room & linen spray here >>>
Happy Hour at Home! Staying in doesn’t mean you can’t have fancy Friday night drinks. Fill up your ice trays, charge up the soda stream & gather your favourite garnishes. Preparing and serving yourself up a special drink (alcoholic or not) is a guaranteed way to allow you to switch off from your work week and float into your weekend. Give yourself permission to disconnect, turn off your notifications, resist checking emails, put on your favourite music & settle into your weekend in style.
Be your own Barista. These days you don’t have to leave the house to get a good quality coffee & you don’t even need the fanciest coffee machine on the market. I will admit I was once in a set routine of getting my coffee from my favourite café every day, I never believed I could recreate the experience (or the taste) at home. When I moved to Sugar Loaf Cottage which is about 20 minutes from town I realised I needed to be able to satisfy my coffee cravings at home. After some experimenting with different pods, beans & non dairy milks I have found my ultimate combination. Once you find your favourite coffee and milk combo, you’ll be able to make yourself a cup of delicious consistent coffee every day. Warm up your cup beforehand, get the milk to the temperature you like it even add your favourite syrup if you want. You'll also be saving money & avoiding take away cups ending up in landfill. Win win!
Picnic at Home. There is something about eating outside that is great for our boosting our mood. Being outdoors is relaxing, reduces stress & tension. Whether you have a front yard, courtyard, balcony or just wandering down to the local beach or park, eating at outdoors on a picnic bench or throwing down a blanket will induce good vibes. Pack some yummy nibbles to graze on, sandwiches, fresh fruit and something delicious to drink. You could even take a frisbee, Finska, a basketball, chalk or colouring pencils and take full advantage of your surroundings.
Movie night with DIY mini bar. Movie nights at home mean you can get straight into your pyjamas! Why not pop in my DIY hair treatment, surround yourself with pillows, blankets & get comfy. No need to worry about cold air-con blasting or wearing a masks at your at home cinema. Now just to pick your favourite flick and grab a selection of your favourite treats. For the ultimate movie feels it’s all about the candy bar classics; popcorn, Maltesers & a choc top! Turn the volume up, dim the lights & enjoy the movie magic at home.
Create a sacred space. We all need a special place that we can escape to, a place that inspires us and reconnects us with our own higher self. A place where we can contemplate life, ask questions, recharge our energy and keep ourselves balanced.
A sacred space is a place that nurtures you when you spend time doing things that calm and relax you -whether that is reading, sipping tea, sleeping, painting, knitting, reading angel cards and the list goes on.
A sacred space does not have to be some grand room or space (although it would be lovely), it just needs to be a safe and humble space where you can spend time doing what you love. Sacred spaces can be created anywhere, even if it is just a tiny corner in your bedroom. There are no rules to creating your own sacred space. They key is to make it authentically your own space - so really its up to you how you design it.