A Moment For Me

This post is brought to you in partnership with Aveeno®
All opinions are 100% honest & completely my own.

The holidays, while joyous and exciting, can also feel overwhelming and stressful – with all the activities, parties, baking & decorating that come with this time of year, it’s far too easy to lose balance in the areas of our lives that matter most.  I’ll be the first to admit that this is something I’ve struggled with (a lot) in the past…but being diagnosed with Lupus has taught me that my body simply can’t handle a constant rapid pace for very long and scheduling down time for myself is crucial to staying healthy & feeling my best during this busy season.

As women, we are often so focused on others that we neglect to care for ourselves – and our emotional & mental health is just as important as taking care of our bodies.  One thing that I’ve been working on lately is finding creative time-saving hacks in certain areas of my life so that I can carve out a moment for me when I need it.  By making self-care a priority, I find that I’m happier & have more energy for the things I need to accomplish each day.  Here are a few ways that I’ve been achieving this (& you can too!):

• Simplified morning routine
  I’ve started paring down the amount of products I use for every day – as much as I love playing around with different makeup colors, I have begun to reserve those more involved looks for evenings to help cut down on the time it takes me to get ready in the morning.  My current routine is a simple combination that begins with Aveeno® Positively Radiant Sheer Daily Moisturizer – I love that this has SPF30 built-in so I don’t have to apply that separately & I’ve also noticed a marked improvement in my skin tone & texture after using it for a few weeks.  After I let the moisturizer sink in, I apply my makeup primer, CC cream, concealer & blush + one coat of mascara & lip gloss.  All of this takes less than 10 minutes and I’m ready for the day!

• Weekly meal planning
  As most of you know, I have to stick to a pretty restrictive diet to manage my autoimmune disease.  But, even I can be tempted to indulge a bit too much during the holidays.  The key to success is planning ahead – if I have healthy food on hand, I will stay on track & feel my best.  So, on Saturday, I plan out all my meals for the coming week & go grocery shopping.  Then, I set aside a chunk of time on Sunday afternoon for meal prep (I bought these glass containers to store everything in).  Most of my dishes can easily be made ahead and reheated as needed – this saves me so much time during the week + I find that I have a broader range of meal combinations when I plan ahead.

• Bedtime prep
  I’ve found the best way for me to feel at peace & truly relaxed in the evening is to prepare well for the next day.  So, I’ve started showering at night instead of in the morning (which also shaves time off my morning routine).  I’m loving the new Aveeno® Positively Radiant Exfoliating Body Wash, which is more gentle than a traditional scrub & leaves my skin feeling so soft.  When I get out of the shower, I moisturize with the new Aveeno® Positively Radiant Body Lotion.  I mentioned this product in my November Monthly Edit & I love that it absorbs quickly and really penetrates deep into the skin, so I don’t have to be reapplying throughout the day.  Once I’ve showered, I pick out my outfit & set out my clothes so I can get dressed quickly in the morning without having to make any style decisions.  Then, I climb into bed & make a to-do list for the following day so I know exactly what tasks I need to get done & I don’t have a million things running through my mind while I’m trying to fall asleep.

Implementing these small changes have made a huge difference for me – I’ve felt so much more organized, at peace & relaxed even in the midst of a hectic schedule.  I hope you’ll be encouraged to give these ideas a try & make self-care a priority this holiday season – it’s so important & you are worth it!