If you’re feeling all the feelings that I know are swirling from the unknown that is covid-19, I hear you. It’s hard.
In my own time at home with my little fam during “social distancing” though, I’m choosing to trust in this.
To trust God and the universe, that they’ve got us. That we will come out the other end of this better for it. That we’re being shown the stuff we need to know and see in this very moment. That many of us probably desperately needed this forced slow down, more than we knew.
The world is scary and unpredictable right now, but I’m reminded more than ever how grateful I am for the simple things. And that we have a big chance to step up and be a light in other’s paths right now, in the midst of fear and panic.
It’s making me realize too that all that matters is our health, and the health of the people we love.
So as we lean into this forced slow down, I want to encourage you to join me as I challenge myself to do ONE thing everyday to make sure I’m taking care of myself (and therefore the people I love), even in these wild times.
It doesn’t have to be an hour. Or extravagant. It likely won’t always feel like you “should” do it or deserve it when there’s a lot of pain in our world right now. But that’s exactly why you need it, friend. And me too.
Now more than ever we’re realizing things can be fleeting. Health, jobs, access, travel … even just leaving the house.
So it’s more important than it’s ever been to TAKE CARE of ourselves, physically and mentally, like we mean it. With small daily acts of love.
I threw together a full-on list of 28 self-care ideas— yup, even when you’re busy or aren’t feeling super motivated.
They’re organized by time (under 5 minutes, under 20 minutes, and under 1 hour) so you can sort through and pick what feels good and what you have time to do each day.
And I wanted to give you some extra resources if you’re feeling challenged or convicted during this time.
While I’m seeing a lot of messages of “Do the thing finally! Write the book/start the business/learn a new skill/pursue your dream with all this time you have,” I hope you also know it’s okay to NOT be okay during this time. To not force yourself to be wildly productive. To instead listen to what your intuition needs and nurture THAT. To lean into what your mind/body/soul/spirit is calling you to focus on, and to feel those feelings.
And if you feel like you need a little extra love or encouragement or tools to get through this time, I got you covered:
+ To dig into evening rituals and how having a wind-down routine can alleviate so much, head here.
+ To see how I plan & organize my day and decode the challenges of working from home, head here.
+ To check out my TOP 5 pantry staples to make life way easier, head here.
+ To snag the 23 easy meals you can make with your pantry staples, head here.
+ To download my FREE 4-week meal plan using your Simply Real Eating cookbook, head here. (If you haven’t gotten the book yet, now’s the perfect time. Grab it here— the book is 50% off on amazon and has easy, real-food meals to feed your loved ones during this time.)
+ For the best at-home workouts, Tone It Up is free this month for anyone, Peleton (bike, body weight, yoga, meditation classes) is free for the next 90 days and is normally $12 a month for just the app, Melissa Wood Health (pilates and yoga flows) is free the first 7 days and then $10 a month, and I’ve heard great things about Balanced Life Pilates too. And feel free to share any others you know below!
+ And, to steal my (heavenly, seriously) morning skincare routine– and to see why clean products matter for both your overall health and skin health– head here. Primally Pure face masks, face sprays, and CBD serum are some of the best places to start.
I hope these resources bring some light and support to your life during this time, and if there’s anything else I can do to encourage or help you in any way, please let me know what you’d like to see from me in the coming weeks in a comment below.
Thinking of you, rooting for you.
Wondering what to make with your pantry staples right now?
Get 23 simple and healthy meal ideas you can quickly whip up with what you already have!
Julie S says
We would love to feature you on our IGTV series for new and expecting mamas about how to stay nourished. Please email if you are interested!
Laura says
Hello Sarah!
I am a new subscriber to your emails. And I just wanted to say, “Thank you”. Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness in sharing all these free resources. Suffering from pretty severe digestive health and daily fatigue, I am in need of a good re-structuring of my daily life. Meaning: Morning and evening routines must be shored up. Some sort of physical fitness program implemented, however small. Making allergy-free meals simple and easier. Finding peace and clarity. I have to start small. But start. I know that your resources can help me. Even if I make one small change today. Thank you so much for helping me start.
Laura Coyne