My Self-Care Toolkit

Photo CREDIT: ellienelie on Unsplash

Ever since I learned about energy healing, I have been experimenting with new forms of self-care to help myself get through this pandemic and election season. I’ve done a lot of research and I’ve had really positive experiences with each of the things I’m trying out. I’m sharing a bit of my experience in the hopes that any of it helps people who are looking for ways to promote their own self-care.

I just want to reiterate that this stuff has worked for me, and I know that different things work for different people. We’re talking about energy healing, which may not be everybody’s thing (it certainly wasn’t mine until about a year ago). So if you’re curious and want to experiment, go for it! Last thing I want to mention is that none of these activities should be done in place of mental health care. If you’re struggling, I highly recommend seeing a therapist or life coach or healer who can guide you along life’s hardships. Okay, here we go!

First up in my list is meditation with crystals. I’ve pictured below the crystals that I use most often. In order, they are: Amethyst, Clear Quartz, and Opal. I have other crystals, but I will be honest, I haven’t quite felt the same effects as I have while working with these ones. Normally when I meditate, I lie on the ground, put on some soft music, and do deep breathing. Once I feel “in touch” with my body, I ask myself what I need right now. Sometimes it feels very clear and other times it’s fuzzy. However, since I got my crystals, I have had much more clarity. Amethyst is used for relaxation, and I carry it around quite a lot. I even hold it during therapy sessions because it has a very calming effect. Clear Quartz has a ton of metaphysical properties, but I have mostly seen the effects of the clarity it has given me during these meditations. I ask myself what I need and it usually is much clearer with this stone. Lastly, I place Opal on my third eye for chakra balancing (which I was introduced to in my travels). It gives me a very similar feeling of balance to the one I had when I got my chakras aligned in India. If you’re thinking what I would have been thinking a year ago, you might say “Danielle, that’s just a placebo effect, you silly goose!” You’re not wrong, it could be! But... if it works, why toss it?

The second tool I’ve been using frequently has been scented candles. Heck yes, friends, this stuff is a mood. I buy from this amazing shop called Greene House Scents, which has stellar prices and strong scents! So far, I’ve bought (and been really happy with) Coffee Grinds, Vanilla, Lavender Rain, and Fraser Fir. When I’m in the mood to read or journal, I flick on one of these babies, and it sets the tone for me to focus and not feel as anxious. It also encourages me to actually read my book and actually write in my journal without checking social media every five seconds. I’ve even started learning how to use calligraphy lettering to boost my love of journaling.

The third tool I have been using is yoga! I’ve been practicing almost every day since we arrived home in April. I use the YouTube videos from Yoga With Adriene because they’re free and Adriene is a fantastic teacher who integrates lightheartedness and compassion into her classes. I started with her 30 day series to give myself some structure, and now I’ve been popping around her channel seeing what fits my mood that day. It’s so helpful for mind-body awareness in terms of little things I forget like remembering to breathe during the day. If you asked me to do a plank a year ago I would’ve laughed in your face, but now when I do planks I find myself saying mantras like “I am strong” and continuing on through downward dog. It’s not so much about getting a daily “workout”, it’s more that there’s a sense of routine carved out every day for this that feels very grounding.

Okay, so last but not least, these tools are not to say “look at me, I’m fixed during a pandemic”. No. I’m definitely not. Things are really hard and I’m learning to appreciate these small moments I can give to myself that make it less hard. I’ve also noticed that none of these things involve looking at a screen which became a real problem during quarantine and even made my eye start twitching for a while. (Yoga With Adriene is on YouTube, but I’m mostly using her voice to guide me since my glasses fall off during sessions.) So, if any of this feels helpful, I totally suggest trying it even if it gives your day just 5 minutes of goodness, because during these times we need a little extra self-care!

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Photo credit: rishikesh yogpeeth on Unsplash