Affirmations are comprised as an ”I Am” statement. What you‘d like to manifest, affirm it by claiming that it already exists. Affirmations are important to set the tone of your day. It is a declaration of what you are choosing to be. To affirm something is to believe whole-heartedly that it already IS. That belief leads to the realization of it.

A Lil Self-Care Calendar: Monthly Affirmations. MPower Candles: Affirmation Candles

Baths not only exfoliate skin, they also promote a soothing atmosphere. Feel free to create your own bath blends from salts, essential oils, herbs, fruits, oats, and other items. Baths are a self-care tool for beauty reasons, spriritual reasons and for stress relief. Visit the below websites for bath products..

Rozelle’s Healing Garden: Bath Products. Herb and Temple Apothecary: Ritual Products. Ra Essentials: Skincare Products. Good Day Scents: Candles. MPower Candle Co. Intention Candles.

Boundaries can be hard to set. Remember that your boundaries protect you, they are not intended to hurt others. Boundaries can protect you from burnout, feeling unappreciated, or used. In order to set boundaries, you must first make your ASK. Then create a consequence. For example, you may ask your child not to act up in school. The consequence may be that you take away their phone. Why wouldn’t you do the same for those who abuse your presence? Below are quick reads to assist you.

Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend; Conscious Loving by Doctors Gay & Kathlyn Hendricks; Dodging Energy Vampires by Christiane Northrup; Letters to Sonali by Judge Lynn Toler

How your space looks is typically a reflection of your soul. If things are hoarded, it is said that you are struggling to let emotions go. If you are over the top clean, it is said that you leave little room for mistakes. As we clean, we should envision our space being cleansed from negativity, stagnant energy, and bad vibes. Cleaning is a form of self-care. Cleaning now allows your future self to rest.

The Vybe Collection: Sage, Crystals and other Spritual Cleansing Tools

Volunteering your time, energy, funds, or other means for a cause that doesn’t directly serve you is a form of self-care. Lending ourselves to a purpose greater than us gives us purpose. Getting more involved in your community allows for you to create a new network as well. Get out and serve. Some causes that is close to A Lil Lady, LLC includes, but is not limited to, the below organizations.

Herb and Temple: Community-based Service, Healing Spaces, Study Circles, etc. SwapDC: A Community of Creative Upcyclers. Positive Chalk DC: $PositiveChalkDC. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Justice Reform. Mt. Pleasant Acre Farms: Tree-Planting & Agricultural Volunteer Work.

Dress the way you’d like to feel. Color is energy. Black can be a powerful color but it could also be a sign that someone is depressed. A lot of times when we are sad, dressing up, doing your makeup, or changing your hairstyle can help your spirits. Wear something that reminds you of your power and your beauty.

Rarebabe Spacecraft: Crystal Jeweler. The Goddiss Brand: Apparel. Kanisha’s Glam Room: Make-up & Hair. Handirubvi: Wearable Art Curator/Photographer. Mental Creations: Ear Candling, Tattoos. The Vybe Collection: Jewelry.

Health screenings are important for yourSELF. Often times our body screams at us and we are so tied up in life that we ignore the repetitive alerts. Health screenings at least twice a year is imperative so that you are aware of what‘s going on inside your body as well as outside. This includes mental check-in’s. If you are uninsured, check out your local options. Remember there are healthcare providers that you do not need healthcare for. Below are some of those services. Mental health providers are listed in the Therapy header below.

Pain Rehab DC: Chiropractor @PainRehabDC

Expression is not limited to vocal communication. Expression can be acted upon through music, solo dance parties, sewing, painting, or even sidewalk chalk art. Our inner children sometimes lead this activity. You don’t have to be an artist to paint, or a wealthy person to style yourself expressively. Some ways you can express yourself are included but not limited to:

Acting (Improv, etc.), Art (any medium), Beading, Creating (pretty much anything), Doodling, Decorating, Fashion, Gardening, Glassblowing, Hemp/Gymp, Landscaping, Movement, Painting, Playing (Instruments, etc.), Pottery, Sculptures, Woodworking…

Gratitude is important for self care. When we show appreciation for what it is that we have, we can coach ourselves into being happy. Take a moment or ten throughout the day for gratititude. You can practice gratitude by:

-Writing a list of things you are grateful for until you run out of thoughts

-Expressing appreciation to/for those close to you in public and in private

-Expressing more appreciation for things you love than disdain for the things you do not

Therapy has had a negative stigma over the years. However, therapy can be very healing. I have sought mental health advisory for over ten years. When I needed to switch therapists, I did, but I continued to go. Therapy can teach you other perspectives from the mouth of an unbiased person. Below are some recommended providers.

Counselor - Derek: Derek@councelingrcwc.com (Black, Male, Therapist, Credentialed with BlueCross). Life Coach - DeAnna: DeAnna@milovescircle.com (Black, Woman, Life Coach). The Humble Practice: Ryan W. (She/They) Reiki Practitioner. AllThingsWithShanty: Podcast on Grief.

We’ve all heard that cooking is healthier that eating out. Cooking allows us to learn and handle everything that we consume. We can see it all the way through. Cooking also has the power to bring us closer to children and family. Cooking is self-care, because of the energy, love and care put into your meal. When you consume that meal, you consume the energy, love and care you put into crafting that meal. For health meal tips, visit the pages below.

Better Hueman: Vegan Meals/Recipes; Eat Well No Wellin’: DMV Vegan Meal Plan Delivery; The Healthy Alternative Shop: Sea Moss Gel, Personalized Herbal Blends and Capsules; Eat Better To Live Better: Holistic Health Life Coach

Meditation is an amazing way to silence the static so you can be clear on your Higher Power’s voice as well as your Higher Self’s. During meditation, we allow ourselves to breathe deeply and think intentionally. Try meditating before beginning your day or before bed for self-care. You may find that you enjoy the YOU time.

Sing Bowl: Sound Bowl Healing Sessions

Movement is key to assisting your mood. A lot of folks think that movement is only working out. Movement is dancing in your room, walking during your lunch break or simply playing on the playground with the kids. Movement helps break up stagnant or pinned-up energy. If you are looking to lose weight, hold yourself accountable using A Lil Self-Care Calendar. Aim to move at least 10 minutes each day.

C. Results Fitness: Corey - Personal Trainer

Get out in Nature for self-care. Nature has healing energy. Many of us appreciate a good beach day. However, many of us do no live near a beach. Therefore, try finding a plot of Nature that makes you feel at home. Take in a sunset, a full moon, a whipping wind, the colorful Autumn Leaves. Take off your shoes, dance in the rain, dig a hole, hug a tree, feed the birds. Here is a list of all the parks in the USA. Find your Happy Place.

Reading and Learning are hobbies that is sadly getting overshadowed by Social Media. Reading is an outlet that has the power to help us educate ourselves and unlearn bad behaviors. Sadly, Social Media’s attention span is only short enough to introduce subjects, but not go into depth. Learning a new skill does not always require school. Take a course at the library or sign up for a virtual workshop. Reading helped me along my self-care journey. I oddly became drawn to self-help books. Some of the most helpful books I found are listed below:

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. One Day My Soul Just Opened Up by Iyanla Vanzant. Lessons From The Stressors, by Lady Lay.

Whether your are Spiritual or Religious, practice what you preach. Sometimes when you are feeling down, turning to your favorite scripture, sacred text, mantra or healing ritual will bring your spirits back up. This form of self-care is good because you can go to your Higher Power for guidance, leadership, and understanding.

Rest is just as, or more, important than everything on this list. Rest is something that should be prioritized. Sprinkle random days off throughout the year as a future gift to yourself. Cancel your plans to have a spa day or just to Netflix and chill. Remember that a rest day with things scheduled may not be suitable for rest and could cause more stress. Check out the below podcasts while you rest.

MAD About Sports; Creative Habits; Jay’s Corner; DaughterSisterAuntMom; The Gilded Sages

If you’re an introvert like me, socializing isn’t always self-care. However, when you are intentional about making your socializing time quality, it can be very beneficial to your self-care. Taking time to talk through issues with friends or hanging out and laugh about nothing at all is beneficial to your health. If you feel low on companions, join an interest group or take classes to meet like-minded individuals. Throw yourself a party and invite people you love the most. Know that you are not alone.

Pretti Little Blooms: Flower Rentals

Traveling doesn’t always have to be an expensive excursion across the globe. Travel could be an hour drive to a tourist-y hot spot or one town over for a weekend getaway. Traveling is when you can get away and reset your mindset. Travel is self-care, as. It is allows you to gain knowledge as well as experience. Don’t wait until you retire to work on your goals. Create a list today and create a goal to check them off.

Writing is one of the best stress reliefs I have ever encountered. If you don’t feel the same, I completely understand. Writing can be a great self-care tool because it gives you free room to express without being judged or judging yourself. Even if you write ten swear words in a row when you’re angry, get it out. Then follow those swear words up with loving affirmations. Write your thoughts, feelings, it doesn’t have to be a novel. It doesn’t have to fill the page. Just move the energy out of your body so that yourSelf can feel better.