By Ginger Cochran, MS, RDN, CDCES, CEP-ACS
You are the answer. Often, we find ourselves in self-thought, relationships, or situations that don’t bring us joy and leave us thinking, “how did we get here?” The truth of the matter is that it all starts with ourselves. Choosing a path of self-discovery and love is essential to long-term health and happiness. We often give the love we desperately need for ourselves away and treat ourselves rather poorly. When we treat ourselves poorly instead of with love, we are more likely to fall into poor eating habits, depression, and anxiety.
Designer Wellness is devoted to helping you nurture yourself head to toe, inside and out. In light of Valentine's month, we are shedding light on the path to self-love with a few daily practices.
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Nourish your morning routine.
Our morning routines set the course for our entire day. How we approach the day from the minute we open our eyes has a ripple effect. Follow these tips to have a genuinely nourishing morning.
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Avoid starting your morning on your phone, and give yourself at least 30 minutes without your thousands of followers.
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Enjoy a higher protein breakfast with at least 1-2 cups of fruits and vegetables, such as a smoothie with two scoops of Designer Whey, 1 cup of blueberries, ½ banana, and 1 cup of spinach mixed with oat milk.
Stretch, walk, breathe, or just move to help your body reconnect with itself. We often go through our day so detached from our bodies due to constant distractions and take a moment to breathe and connect with our bodies.
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Look at yourself in the eye in the mirror for 30 seconds.
When was the last time you looked at yourself in the eyes, I mean, really looked? There is inner wisdom and peace when we gaze into anyone's eyes, let alone ourselves. Research shows that looking directly into our eyes can stop distractions, bringing us straight into the present moment. It creates inner peace when we can bring ourselves to the present moment. Projecting into the future is the culprit of anxiety, and ruminating about the past can lead to depression. When we can come to the present moment, worry dissolves. Use this practice for at least 30 seconds to bring yourself back to the present moment.
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Write down ten things you are grateful you did.
Many times we don’t give ourselves the acknowledgment we deserve. Many of us find it easier to give congratulations away to others and never pat ourselves on the back. Take a moment to write down ten things you are proud of yourself for doing. Nothing is small or big; they are all actions YOU accomplished. Examples: “I am grateful I took time to meditate for 5 minutes today.” “I am grateful I said ‘no’ to running an extra errand today, so I have time for myself at home.” All actions are accomplishments that support the life you want to be living.
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Tap for 5 minutes a day.
The art of taping is clinically proven to reduce cortisol, your stress hormone, improve anxiety symptoms, treat post-traumatic stress syndrome, and help you calm your entire body. For this reason, taping is known as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Tapping certain areas combines somatic stimulation and cognitive therapy to release tension and reconnect with ourselves, drawing us inward and closer to self-love. This technique uses acupressure points to send signals to the brain to help balance your body's nervous system. EFT is effective, and it only takes a few moments. Set 5 minutes daily to practice this tapping technique and bring yourself closer to self-love.
STEPS: How to practice EFT
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Set your focus
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Round 1: Identify the issue that is bothering you and holding you back from self-love and that you want to release. Rate this issue on a scale from 1 to 10.
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Round 2: Identify what you like about yourself.
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Tap and speak
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Round 1: Use the power of your voice while tapping to repeat, “I may be feeling ____; I chose to feel safe. I love myself, honor myself, and continue to learn how to live my best life.”
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Round 2: Every time you tap into a new spot, say out loud something you love or are grateful about yourself. “I love my laugh.” “I am grateful for my genuine heart.” “I am grateful I chose to nourish my body today.”
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Tap acupressure points eight times, repeating what you are releasing and welcoming during round one. Round two repeat what you love about yourself at each acupressure point
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Points to tap with both hands
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Directly on top of the eyebrows
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Side of eyebrows
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Under eyes on the cheekbone
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Under the nose, directly above the lip
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On the chin
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On the collarbone
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In the armpit
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On the top of your head,
Rate how intensely you feel what you are releasing or bringing in
Repeat
The path to self-love starts with the practices we do daily. Nourishing yourself with and balanced diet and daily practices that calm your nervous system and direct it towards gratitude and love. Try the four tips above to help support your self-love journey. To save yourself time in the morning with your new self-love routine, we’ve designed our Protein Smoothies to be your nutritious grab-and-go breakfast. You can try them all here. You got this, and we are here to support you.
Sources:
Wang, J.J., Apperly, I.A. Just one look: Direct gaze briefly disrupts visual working memory. Psychon Bull Rev 24, 393–399 (2017). https:/
