Out with wellness routines and in with wellness moments. The way to well-being isn’t about a long list of steps — it’s about incorporating small ways of taking care of yourself morning, afternoon and night. Think of them like de-stressing, rejuvenating tools that you can pull out (mostly) whenever and wherever.
Calm
Pause is the new meditation.
We’re not talking 30 minutes carved out of your day. Here’s any easy approach: Sit comfortably in a chair and stare down at your feet. See that you are grounded. Shut your eyes. Breathe in slowly, then breathe out. Do that five more times. Congratulations, you just meditated.
The magic word is magnesium.
Meet nature’s relaxer. Magnesium is in charge of over 300 biochemical reactions, but our bodies can’t produce it. It can be found in dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, or a supplement like Natural Vitality Natural CALM, which is also available as a gummy formulated for kids.
Water a plant and eat it, too.
Pick up a plant, find a sunny (or shady spot) and get to know when it needs a drink. The small ritual of taking care of a living thing can be a midday boost. If you go with an herb plant, you’ll get the added bonus of rosemary, basil or thyme on hand when you’re cooking.
That’s the rub.
Get to know the mood-elevating aromatherapeutic properties of essential oils. All you need is a few drops into your palm (diluted in a carrier oil or grab a roll-on that’s already diluted for you) — rub your hands together and breathe in deep. Try lavender, bergamot or ylang-ylang.
Body & Skin Care
Spritz the day away.
Hydrosols — commonly created when plants are steam distilled, extracting the water from the plant cells — are like a breath of fresh, scented air for your face. They typically come in spritz bottles, like evanhealy HydroSouls opens in a new tab. Keep one at your desk, and give yourself a blast of flower power whenever you need it. Bonus: Your skin might even look smoother and more hydrated.
CBD for you and me.
Short for cannabidiol, CBD is the nonpsychoactive compound found in cannabis. Give muscles some attention with balms and creams for the skin, like ShiKai CBD Topicals opens in a new tab whose CBD with Menthol Cream creates a cooling feeling.
Seconds to skin detox.
There are plenty of ways to pamper your skin spa-style without a 10-step routine. Dot on cocokind’s Turmeric Tonic Stick opens in a new tab, formulated to reduce the appearance of blemishes and dark spots. Mix bentonite clay with water for a quickie face mask. Or try DIY facial treatments.
Well-Being
Hydration +.
A pretty basic rule: Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Snazz up your H2O regimen with flavor and few other benefits to boot. A wellness favorite, elderberry is available in a mix-in drink powder, New Chapter Elderberry Powder Sticks opens in a new tab. Or add on a wellness shot opens in a new tab made with ingredients like ginger and turmeric.
It’s simple: Wash your hands.
Lather up with a mission-based soap. After all, doing good is one of the best ways we have to feel good ourselves. Good Soap by Alaffia opens in a new tab, who now have a pump version of their popular fair trade bar soaps, donates 100% of their proceeds to support families and communities around the world.
Bee mine.
Make room for this pollinator in the medicine cabinet: Bees’ nearly magic powers (like their pollen, which contains antioxidants) are being harnessed in cough syrups, throat sprays and elixirs.
Exercise
Movement snacks.
No, not the sweet and salty kind. The bite-sized, time-wise kind. Set your phone alarm to go off every hour. Do 10 squats. Do 20 jumping jacks. Walk around the room 15 times. Get your heart pumping, and your brain is sure to follow.
Stroll with snacks.
Open your doors and take a walk, which can improve circulation, lower blood pressure and boost your mood. Just because you’re not taking a long hike doesn’t mean your neighborhood loop can’t warrant a snack. Make some feel-good foods in advance so they’re always ready for grabbing: roasted chickpeas or protein, dried fruit or paleo granola.
Stretch ’n’ roll.
Add something new to your stretching routine: Grab a tennis ball, lie on the floor with it positioned between a sticky spot (like your IT bands or calves) and the floor, and roll up and down (avoid your joints!). Foam rollers work, too. Put on a podcast and set a timer for five minutes: It might be intense at first, but your muscles will thank you.
Make every bite count.
Mindfulness can help you slow down and be more intentional about how you’re eating. Next time you grab an apple, hold it for a few moments. Feel the skin, notice the colors, smell some if its sweetness. Take one bite at a time and really taste each one. Is it tangy, honeyed, velvety, tart, crisp? How does the taste change with every bite? See, an apple can be a delicious snack and a meditation.
Sleep
High-powered herbal teas.
For a pre-sleep wind-down, look for something beyond your typical herbals like lemon balm, a lightly citrus scented herb that has been linked to stress relief, and ashwaganda root. Find them both in our tea section.
White noise.
White noise helps block out those “What was that?” sounds around the house so you can fully give yourself over to a good night’s rest. You don’t necessarily need a white noise machine — there are tons of free apps. You can loop a white noise track on a music streaming service or run a humming fan.
Sleeping beauty.
Here’s an activity that may last six to eight hours but only involves you lying down — overnight face masks. Masks like Resurfacing Sleep from cocokind opens in a new tab and The Seaweed Bath Co.'s Restoring Marine Algae Overnight Face Mask opens in a new tab are specially formulated for you to wear all night long, so your skin wakes up ready to take on the day.
Banish blue light.
If you’re spending most of your day in front of a screen, you might be suffering from the effects of blue light, which can affect your circadian rhythms, possibly making it more difficult to fall and stay asleep. Make sure to turn off screens an hour before you’re ready to hit the pillow. Some skin care lines have even developed blue-light-focused products, like DERMA E’s Blue Light Shield Spray opens in a new tab.
