Thanksgiving: Self Keeping

As the daylight hours get shorter and the Christmas countdown picks up pace it’s easy to get caught in a hectic frenzy of present shopping and holiday planning. Before you know it, you’re not only buried in to-do lists but also feeling like your head is spinning and energy levels have hit rock bottom. During colder months in particular, it’s important to take our cues from the nature that surrounds us, winding down for it’s long winter sleep, and take a step back. Slow down and breathe. The holiday of Thanksgiving reminds us to do this while expressing and quietly feeling gratitude for all that the past year has given us offers the perfect reminder to recharge both body and soul.

When confronted with the idea of ‘looking after yourself’ most people would assume they do, subconsciously or otherwise. But when you really stop and consider what you intentionally do to look after yourself, we may come to realise that we don’t do all that great a job of taking care of ourselves.  Self-keeping is not hitting the gym to make up for that extra pastry or missing out on a party because you think you should really be getting an early night. It’s not about forcing yourself to do something you may not necessarily enjoy because you think it's good for you. Self-keeping focuses on deliberately doing “something that refuels us, rather than takes from us.”

There are so many ways you can begin to embrace self-keeping, from switching your cleaning products to non-toxic alternatives like the range at TINCTURE to take care of your health, to taking time out to just be every day. Looking after yourself doesn’t have to be difficult, expensive or particularly time consuming. In fact, it shouldn’t be. Key themes such as getting enough sleep, eating well, spending time with others and being organised are the backbone of a good routine are are easy and pleasurable once you get into the habit.

This Thanksgiving, TINCTURE invites you to bump your self-care up your list of priorities with these easy to action tips:

Engage with others

Thanksgiving often means visiting lots of family and friends. Socialising and talking with a mix of people is an excellent way to kick off your self-keeping plan. Just be sure to spend your time with those who bring you positive energy, be grateful for those who make you happy and let the negative people go.

Sleep

Although the idea of a good rest can sometimes seem a distant dream for those with small children or hectic careers, most people require 7-8 hours of quality sleep to function properly. Sleep is so important for both mental and physical health. It allows our bodies to recharge and process everything that’s happened during the day. If you have family staying for Thanksgiving, ask them to be on duty for little ones so you can get some rest. If work keeps you from sleep, try going to bed an hour earlier than you would normally and read a book or magazine rather than scrolling through your phone. This will let your eyes to rest from all the screen time and hopefully allow your body to relax into a deeper, better quality sleep.

Eat well and balanced

Thanksgiving is all about the food. However, overindulgence isn’t necessarily the best way to make yourself feel better. Yes, it is only once a year and as with most aspects of self-keeping it is all about balance. Eating healthily will give you more energy and help fight the seemingly inevitable winter germs that are heading our way over the next couple of months.  But take time to listen to your body, and if it’s calling for the occasional cupcake then be kind to yourself and go with it.

Keep organised

Getting all your ducks in a row will help you figure what you need, tidy home, tidy mind. Something as simple as having a calendar to keep all your appointments up to date and clear to see can help relieve the worry of forgetting something important. Cleaning your home always seems like an unwanted chore but here at TINCTURE we try and make it less of a hassle and bring a little joy to this unloved past time. The TINCTURE blends are unique recipes of 100% natural and essential oils and actives that have been included for their exceptional properties to aid performance but also to enhance our wellbeing. This allows you to not only keep your home clean without exposing you or your family to harsh chemicals, colourants or perfumes but also benefit from the release of our carefully selected essential oils which help with everything from preventing headaches to reducing anxiety.