Wake Up Your Senses!
It’s March! The month where everyone dreams of spring but the cold just keeps coming. For many of us, we are focused on our daily rise and grind routine. Work, kids, dinner, errands, sleep, repeat. What does your day look like? Are you crushing a full-time job? Spending your days as a domestic engineer keeping the home front running? Or maybe it’s a combination of both. Regardless of your daily routine, this time of year can be hard. For the majority, we miss the sun and longer daylight hours. Seasonal affective disorder is a real condition that affects up to 10 million Americans each year! We here it more commonly called, “winter blues”.
Right now your senses are probably dried out from the heat, thickly coated in Lysol (flu and stomach bug anyone?!), and boredom is reaching an all-time low, nothing left on Netflix either. It’s time to bring your senses out of hibernation!
1. Sound – One of the best ways to wake up is to put on music. Did you know the first 15 minutes can set the tone for your entire day? Why not start it with a song you love as an alarm. What lifts you up? Maybe some golden oldies while you shower or some hard rock to pump you up for a good workout. Whatever moves you, let it blast through your speakers and into your life. You can check out monthly subscriptions like Spotify and Pandora where you can create playlists for all occasions.
2. Taste – Who doesn’t love to eat!? A new, fresh recipe can be the perfect way to combat a low mood; especially when it has healthful benefits. From sweet fruit salad to warm & savory, pick something that makes your mouth water! Be sure to find something packed with nutrients like this month’s featured smoothie. Want to enter next level happiness? Combine music and cooking. You’ll be dancing your taste buds into bliss in no time! Continue reading here.
3. Touch – The cold, harsh elements can make you want to hide under the covers. But did you know the sun is actually closer and stronger in the winter? Even on a cold day, the sun can feel rejuvenating. You can sit in front of a big window or catch a few minutes in the car before getting out. You can also opt to invest in a “sad lamp” or also called “light therapy” lamp. Check out Amazon, and learn more about the benefits of these lamps.
4. Smell – A warm bath, with aroma therapy can help warm the chill away, while filling the air with sweet, fresh scents. Use what best suites your needs and preferences. You can pick from candles, essential oils, and Epson salts. Be sure to choose pure sources. You can even invest in a diffuser to keep your essential oils permeating the air. You don’t have to go far to find a well versed friend or family that can educate you in the different products available since their rise in popularity!
5. Sight – What is something you would love to accomplish? This is going to take some creativity. Break out your markers, magazines, paints, whatever you may have lying around and make yourself a vision board! You could choose to create a board geared toward a vacation you want to plan, a business idea, a family outdoor living space in the spring, or maybe your garden! By creating a visionary board you are helping take a step towards a new goal. I’d love to see what you create. You can email me or tag me #shapeintoyou I’ll share it in next months issue with mine! (with permission 🙂
What sense are you in major need of rejuvenating? Comment below with your thoughts and/ or ideas!