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Women have so many responsibilities, from caring for family members to taking care of business at work. It can be difficult to find time for some much needed pampering, but self care is extremely important. The University of Kentucky defines self-care as any purposeful actions that you take to care for your “physical, mental and emotional health.” Here are some self care ideas and tips for women.

1- Make a foot bath with Epsom salt and apple cider vinegar. Fill a foot bath or tub with very warm water. Then add 1/2 cup of Epsom salt to water. Then add 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar. The salt has healing properties, such as soothing tired feet, relieving aches and pains. The vinegar will help soften calluses and assist in removing excess skin from your feet. Make sure to soak your feet for at least 20-30 minutes. It helps tremendously if you have a pumice stone to remove excess skin. Just gently use stone in a circular pattern on feet and don’t forget to do your heels. When you are done the last step is to moisturize your feet with lotion. Your feet will thank you and you will feel rejuvenated. Do this at least once a week to renew your tired feet.

2- Buy yourself a really good pair of comfortable shoes. Sometimes I wonder if stores that sell cheap shoes are owned by podiatrists! If you ask any foot doctor, wearing poorly made, cheap shoes is one of the top reasons for foot problems, including bunions, heel spurs and hammertoes. So one self-care idea is to go out to a very nice store and purchase one pair of really good, comfortable shoes. $50, $100, $200… it’s okay to spend some money on yourself–especially when it means you’ll have healthy, happy feet.

3- Make a coconut oil deep conditioner for your hair. Using coconut oil as a deep conditioner will strengthen your hair. The oil penetrates deep into your hair and can actually reduce hair loss and thinning. First, in a medium size bowl add 1/4 cup of coconut oil and combine with 4 tablespoons of warm water. Mix well. Apply mix to scalp and hair. Cover your hair with a shower cap, plastic wrap or a plastic bag for 30-45 minutes. Shampoo afterward and style as usual. Do this at least once a month.

4- Buy an ice cream cone for yourself and go sit OUTSIDE to eat it. Many times when you eat ice cream, it’s while sitting in front of the television or feeling sorry for yourself. If you’re going to enjoy some ice cream, go outside and enjoy nature as well. If you’re going to have a treat, have it when you’re feeling good.

5- Give yourself a full body massage with your favorite oil. When you put on lotion in the morning, you probably do it so quickly that you don’t even have a chance to reach every spot. Set aside at least 10 minutes out of your day, sit down with some music and massage every part of your body with your favorite oil–the neck, arms, hands, feet and back of your knees. Don’t stop massaging until every part of your skin is properly covered and treated.

6- Make your own hydrating water to drink throughout the day. As you know beauty starts from the inside out. Drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water can become boring, so make some hydrating water. This water will be a tasty thirst quencher that encourages you to get enough water each day. Slice a half of a cucumber and add 6 mint leaves to 2 quarts of purified water. Allow the water to chill for at least 1 hour before drinking.

7- Do 5 Minutes of Yoga. Many people assume that they yoga has to take hours and is very difficult, but it can actually be fulfilling in short spurts. Pick your five favorite positions, rotate them for about five minutes, then lay back and relax for the last 30-45 seconds. Get up and proceed with your day.

These self care ideas and tips for women will help you begin to take better care of yourself. Remember that if you are not happy you can’t make others happy. So take care of YOU and make the most out of every free moment.

Posted by Eve

Photo credits: Flickr/basheertome Flickr/diophoto

Depression is a very serious issue that can negatively affect a person’s life in a number of ways. It can have negative effects on both the mind and body. You may feel tired, sad, lacking energy and sometimes like life doesn’t have much meaning. If you’re having a chronic problem with how to manage your depression, of course the first course of action is to seek the help of a professional because in some cases it can be the result of a chemical imbalance, hormonal issues or even heredity.

However, depressive disorder is also often caused by outside forces, like stressful life events and eating bad foods, so a holistic and natural approach to managing this condition may help as well. You can also try implementing a few new stimulating activities into your daily routine to better manage your depression.

Change Your Diet

Did you know that some foods can actually exasperate your feelings of depression? Researchers from the University of Navarra and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canariain in Spain found that eating foods high in trans fats and saturated fats can actually make depression worse.

You may also be missing necessary vitamins and minerals from your diet. Buy a daily pill container and fill it with vitamins, including a multi-vitamin, vitamin C-ester, vitamin D, vitamin B and any others that your doctor says you need for proper nutrition.

Read

When you’re depressed, your mind is unhappy with your current surroundings and situation. So if you’re feeling down, try sending your mind elsewhere for a while by picking up a good book or other type of reading material. Be careful not to read negative things, such as sad news stories, depressing articles and magazines that advertise things you can’t have at the moment; that could depress you even further. Read positive stories of triumph, feel good news and if possible, stories about other people who have overcome depression.

Do Just 5 Minutes of Yoga

The mind-body connection is a very real thing. Sometimes exercising or simply stretching the muscles in your body can help you manage depression. If you aren’t motivated enough to do a full workout, just pause and do about 5-10 minutes of yoga stretches. Here’s a quick beginner’s yoga video you can follow. This one helps energize you. You may be pleasantly surprised by how much better you feel after doing just a bit of yoga. The more you do it, the longer you’ll probably want to do it, but don’t feel pressured. Just take it one day at a time.

Talk to Someone (Or Even to Yourself)

If you have someone in your life that you can confide in, it helps to tell them what you’re going through. Sometimes just getting your feelings out can help relieve negative tension. It’s not wise to keep all of those depressed and repressed feelings bottled up for long stretches of time. If you don’t have someone else to talk to, sometimes talking through it with yourself (or a Higher Power that you believe in) each day is just as effective. And of course, talking to a qualified therapist who understands depressive disorders is also a good idea.

If you’re suffering from depression, you certainly aren’t alone. Even high profile celebrities with lots of money and fame, who seem to have great lives, report that they have experienced bouts of depression. Try changing up your routine, lifestyle and diet to manage your depression and overcome those negative feelings. It’s also important to seek the counsel of a trusted professional if it gets worse — talking to someone who understands what you’re going through can really help you get some relief and see things in a more positive light.

Posted by Jade

7 Self Care Ideas and Tips for Women

4 Ways to Better Manage Your Depression

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