Welcome to the new year (it’s still the new year, right?).  If you didn’t know, January is Self-Love Month and if you spent a great part of this month already recovering from the fatigue of the holidays then a little self-care may be just what you need right now!  Let’s dig into some tips to try out for the remainder of this month with the hope that you’ll adopt them for all year long…

Eat well – okay, no duh, right?  Do you really need one more article, blog post, news report, person to tell you to eat well?  No, but… during stressful times, a little reminder can be helpful.  For example, was binge eating Christmas cookies your answer to the stress of the holidays?  If you answered yes, you were not alone. According to the American Psychological Foundation, the holidays have a particularly stressful impact on women due to the many holiday tasks they take on while maintaining their work and family lives resulting in bad habits like comfort eating.  With holiday treats available at work and home it’s not a surprise how easy it is to load up on empty calories. 

If you know you are a comfort eater, try keeping a bowl of sweet fruit out or prepared veggies in the fridge since studies prove we are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables when they are easy to access.  Also, stock up on food that help with stress and emotions (yay! Dark chocolate counts!) and avoid the junk that give you a moment of instant gratification but make you feel worse later. 

Exercise – If winter weather or fear of covid is keeping you from your intense workouts at the gym or outdoors try something different. 

• Trick yourself into adding steps – pull out those tricks like parking in the back of the mall parking lot or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Try a 5-minute lunch time yoga routine – have more time?  Mix it up with some Tai Chi or Pilates –  both are great stress relieving activities.
• Stretch – tension can cause our bodies to get stiff. Roll out a mat, stretch it and yourself out, and end with a deep breathing routine.
• Dance, dance, dance – there are so many fun dance workouts online that it won’t even feel like you are burning calories! All you need is a little room in front of your tv or your computer: fun dance workouts.

Sleep – Stress can really affect your sleep.  Try going to bed before your tired and relax yourself with a good book.  Add a soothing tea and some relaxing music.  Make up your bed with comfy, natural fabrics for healthy zzz’s  and while you’re at it, a gorgeous set of pj’s or pillowcases made of silk can’t hurt. (PS: We can help you with this!)

Respect down time – Downtime may be hard to find this time of year.  When you find it use it to do something comforting for yourself… 

• Soak in the tub
• Give yourself a facial
• Wrap yourself in a comfy robe and read something fabulous by the fire because wrapping yourself up in a gorgeous robe is like a giant YOU hug

Better still, schedule your down time and go get a massage… you’re worth it!  

Whatever you do, be wary of the phone.  According to a study by Lancaster University people use their smartphones for an average of five hours a day – about a third of the time they are awake! Learn to put the phone down for a while and enjoy some uninterrupted me time.  The new year will look a lot fresher without all the doomscrolling.

Just Say No! – If your social calendar is on overload much of the time while managing the ongoing demands of work and family then identifying  your priorities will help you decide where to put your energy.  If family is one of them then that time should be the most important to schedule.  Two work parties easily become one when deciding dinner with the kids is more important.  Patti Breitman, co-author of the book How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty says it best: “It’s easy to say ‘no’ when you know what you are saying ‘yes’ to.” 

Just Say Yesssssssssssssss! – to you!  After saying yes all day at work and home it’s time you said it to yourself.  Need a 15-minute nap to get through the rest of the day?  Yesssssssssssssss!  See how simple that was?  

Waste Time – How is this different than respecting your down time? This is specifically deciding you are going to squander time and NOT be productive! Because really, there is value in shutting your brain off and doing, well, nothing. Stare at the walls if you want.  Stare out the window at the winter birds visiting the feeder or go to the library or bookstore and browse away or leaf through a magazine just because the pictures are pretty. Binge some shows – it counts as doing nothing since the only thing you have to do is select your show or video and let it go! You’ll be surprised how refreshed you feel just taking a “productivity” break.

Remember, self-love is not selfish!   Take good care of yourself this year so you can be the best version of you there is.  We’ll see you in the next blog and until then check out our fabulous selection of chemise and nightgowns during our “Looking Lovely Nightgown Sale” and get 20% off all of our amazing selections! Want even more savings? Right now we’re giving $10 to anyone who signs up to receive text notifications for exclusive offers, VIP Discounts and more! Sign up now!

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Deb Fries works with the Julianna Rae team to offer the best shopping experience for quality silk and cotton sleepwear while also writing for the blog at Juliannarae.com.