So much of what I talk about on this blog relates to the many things that you can do to scale your agency. Don’t get me wrong – I, and the team here at Cloud Campaign are all about the hustle – however there’s an important of life and business that I rarely discuss; taking a break. Arguably one of the most important things you can do for yourself, your loved ones, and your business is to know when to slow down – because taking the time to fill up your gas tank will pay dividends in the long run and have a truly positive impact on everything that you do.
With July 4th weekend upon us, I figured what better time to talk about slowing down than now? 2020 has been quite a ride, and reflecting upon the last 6 months it’s been mind-blowing to consider the global impact that CoVID has had, on every single person. Drinking my morning coffee today, I thought of all the different people in different places around the world who have had their lives turned upside down this year, and it encompasses people of every age, in every country, in every walk of life… So, with that said, I think firstly a pat on the back is in order for powering through the first half of 2020 – whatever that journey has looked like for you.
Looking forward to the final half of this year, I’m making some major changes to my routines and habits that I hope will have a positive impact on my mental health, my energy levels and my overall productivity. A large portion of this involves taking the time to actively slow down, and create intentional moments of calm. I thought I’d share some of the self-care techniques that I’ll be trying here; in case you’d like to join me!
What better way to force yourself to STOP than to run a bath, and soak? Studies show that the benefits of taking a bath, particularly one with Epsom salts, can improve your mood, help you sleep better, relive muscle pain, help balance your hormones, and even give your immune system a boost! While it’s often easy to pack my schedule and leave no time for a bath, I’ll be actively trying to block out time a few times a week to (literally) soak in the benefits that a warm bath has to offer. Feel free to try this too - just don’t let your waterproof iPhone tempt you into reading you emails… They can wait!
This has been my all-time favorite habit change lately. I have two awesome dogs who absolutely love their walks, though it can often be tempting to multitask when I take them out. Often, I find myself on the phone ignoring everything that I walk past, or thinking intensely about work and other to-dos. Recently, I’ve been leaving my phone at home which has forced me to take note of the chirping birds, the smell of the fresh cut lawns that I walk by, the other people out on their summer strolls, and my two adorable happy dogs. Whether you have a dog or not, I encourage you to try taking some time to unplug outdoors; it has done wonders for me so far and is absolutely a habit that I intend to keep!
Ah, you may hate this suggestion, and when I first heard it, I did to. Earlier in this post I mentioned “filling up your gas tank”, and for so long, coffee was quite literally my gas. There’s something about the smell of fresh coffee, and the almost-calming routine of making it that used to get me through those busy days - but I developed a reliability on coffee that became detrimental to my ability to function without it. Recently, I’ve substituted my afternoon coffee for herbal tea with oat milk, (a holiday gingerbread herbal tea in July, if I’ll be honest), and the benefits have been incredible! I’ve not only shaken off the need for caffeine, but have seen significant improvements in my sleep. If you’d like to hop on the tea-train with me, I can’t recommend Boulder’s local Celestial Seasonings more – they have every flavor of tea you could ever want, and they are affordable, too!
The benefits of aromatherapy have been studied for centuries, and while I’m not very well-versed yet in the particular healing capabilities of each essential oil, I have been loving the new addition of aromatherapy to my routine. Picking out the scent for the day, filling my diffuser, and steaming the house with scents like Eucalyptus and Citrus instantly boosts my mood. This particular self-care habit takes all of 5 minutes, so is incredibly easy to incorporate into a busy schedule. If you don’t have a diffuser; don’t worry – I’ve tried adding a few drops to the shower drain and that work’s wonders, too!
Do you have new additions to your routine that have helped you slow down in 2020? I’d love to hear them so that I can try them too! Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn, and let our team know!
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