Self-care routines while homebound
As the third week of having to stay at home kicks in today I find myself ready and in need for more structure than ever when it comes to my day to day. The last couple of weeks have been a time for adjustment and acceptance of the new reality, especially the first week as the first restrictions kicked in. As I wrote last week, my living situation is not easy at the moment, with very limited space and lots of noise, and so having to stay at home for me feels more like torture than anything else these days.
Having to adapt to a difficult situation does have the potential to increase our resilience and so that is exactly how I’m approaching this new reality. This doesn’t mean I don’t get frustrated, or full on pissed off sometimes, or having a mini meltdown every now and then..I want to make that clear. Every time I pick myself up though, with a little more resilience built in than before, and day by day, things that used to annoy me in an instant now are getting a bit more manageable as time goes by.
My usual routines and self-care rituals are more relevant than ever, and although I did experience a serious dip in consistency the last couple of weeks, having as a goal to step back on that track gives me hope and lifts my spirit high.
The morning time for me is about getting up and feeling high in my energy, and positive about starting my day. I used to want to make coffee and start working straight away before, but now I have established what-feels-like an unbreakable habit - dry brushing followed by a cold shower. To this I have now added a skincare routine that I absolutely adore, especially as I’ve made the products myself with my new essential oil kit.
So here is a breakdown of my daily routines when it comes to self-caring while on self-quarantine.
Morning
dry-brush · my instant energy lifting routine that I never skip, I start from the toes and go all the way up to the face where I slow down and brush more gently - including the ears which feels amazing. I’ve written more about this before at my morning routine post.
face/body oil · I’ve made my own face oil blend with rosehip seed and almond plant oils infused with lavender, geranium, rosemary and lemon essential oils. I rub it in on the face, neck and décolletage, followed by a little almond oil at parts of my body that feel that they need it. Oiling before showering is an incredible thing, as the water helps the oil to be absorbed by the skin better and so there is no oily feeling afterwards - just impeccable smoothness..absolutely love this bit of my morning. More on my home made essential oil blends coming on another post.
cold shower · the day is never as good if I don’t have a cold shower in the morning - it instantly takes away the feeling of puffiness when I wake up, reducing inflammation, toning the skin and detoxifying the whole body.
Day time
hair wash routine · I wash my hair every four to five days, and now that I have all the time in the world and at home I’ve started a hair wash routine including a
a.stimulating oil blend of almond oil, rosemary, peppermint, palmarosa and eucalyptus essential oil to which I add a little bit of amla fruit powder to cover the few whites that have made an appearance in the last year or so. I apply the blend to the scalp and leave in for sometime while I prepare my…
b.growth stimulating shampoo. I use organic base shampoo to which I add clary sage and frankincense essential oil. After shampooing I use a..
c.vinegar rinse which I make by combining apple cider vinegar with some water and orange blossom essential oil.
After all this, I come out of the shower and I feel like a Queen..! Essential oils feel so luxurious, every part of my routine that involves smelling them just instantly changes my energy.
afternoon tea ritual · I was never a big tea drinker, but these days I have started to make more tea blends as I have the time.
For mid-afternoon energy I love blending loose leaf green tea, mint and algae - which is also packed with antioxidant and mineral goodness.
If I feel a bit under the weather like getting a cold I make yogi tea from scratch gathering whole cloves, peppercorns, cardamon pods and a cinnamon stick in boiling water, sometimes add some fragrant black masala tea I bought in India, with some freshly shredded ginger for an extra kick.
And when I feel like I want to mellow down and go inward I blend organic Bulgarian rosebuds, and wild-picked rosemary and lavender from last year when I spent the summer at the Greek island of Tinos.
Evening
miracle ball method · some years ago I bought these two squeegee balls and I have to say, they are life saving for when back pain kicks in. I’ve had a recurring sciatic pain in my lower left side, which sometimes gets very difficult and feels very much connected to my menstrual cramps that seem to be focused on the left side as well. Making the time to lay on the balls to relax in the evening is really helping, and I find that doing that consciously in combination with the pressure relief from the balls is what is making the trick here.
tea bag eye relaxation · while I relax on the balls lying down on my yoga mat I put a couple of tea bags - that have been in the fridge for a while so they are cold - on my eye sockets for some relief after a whole day in front of the laptop. I like chamomile and green tea.
evening journaling · this year I’ve bought the Hola Luna moon journal and I absolutely love it - the one page a day sometimes feels a bit short, but at the same time, it keeps my thoughts concise which I like for the evening time.
body oil massage · another blend I have made recently is about boosting fertility, and it feels like a super powerful one as the scent of these essential oils make me instantly day dream about the majesty of my divine female body - going back to Queen vibes. I’ve used almond oil with a blend of cardamon, bergamot, clary sage and geranium. I apply this to my belly and lower back and give the whole area a much needed massage before I go to bed.
reading · I’m an incredibly scattered reader, reading multiple books at the same time. A couple of my favourites right now are Letting Go by David R. Hawkins and Journey of Souls by Michael Newton.
I’d love to support you at this time of self-quarantine - connect with me on instagram and facebook, join my facebook group where I will be posting videos and offering lives soon or send me a message!
ABOUT ELENA & LIVING ON SOURCE
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I am a former Googler reborn as conscious living advocate, True Living mentor, business advisor, yogini, & sound healing expert.
I help people connect to their authenticity and harness their innate power so that they can manifest the life they truly desire through individual sessions, workshops and retreats.
It is my passion to inspire people into reconnecting with their true desire; I write regularly on the Living on Source journal and curate events to bring the LOS community together in London & Amsterdam.
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