A Self-Care September to Start a New Season

The start of September felt like the beginning of a new year as it brought new opportunity and freshness as we close the curtain to another lazy summer season. With students back to school, and some people back to work, we bid farewell to the carefree, relaxed days, and transitioned to stricter schedules and routines. The month also brought a chance for me to shift focus, to pause and reflect which often can be difficult to do when you’re stuck on the hamster wheel of life.  For September I decided to focus on me, instead of just squeezing in the occasional “me time”. This was the month that I made self-care a priority.

Self-care is tremendously important and let’s face it, as a busy individual with competing demands, and even more so for parents, it becomes the very least of a person’s priorities. The fact is that you can’t pour from an empty cup. You’ve got to take, before you can give a little.

So throughout the month I took as much as I could, collecting as many wellness tactics and tools available to me to help better myself physically, mentally and emotionally. This included:

• Visiting a Chiropractor for the first time
• Seeing a Naturopath
• Trying cupping massage therapy
• Drinking celery juice
• A gluten and dairy free diet

Yep, I was super serious and went all in with my self-care September theme.

And the result?

The combination of treatments and activities, plus getting outside as much possible with walks and bike rides nourished me immensely. The Doctors and therapists provided services and advice to help me refresh and rejuvenate. I became more mindful of my body and in-tune with my health needs. My mind was clearer and I was able to cultivate ideas and thoughts for this “new January”.

Specific benefits of each self-care activity included:

1. Chiropractor Care – With stiffness in my lower and upper back as well as my neck area, the Doctor was able to adjust those areas to help loosen me up and alleviate pain I was experiencing. I also felt more energized and lighter with better range of motion.

2. Naturopath – Spending over a hour with a naturopathic Doctor allowed a deep dive in identifying obstacles with my mood, diet, and habits. With a patient-centred approach, and the promotion of natural healing, the Doctor recommended supplements, and tips, emphasizing healthy diet and lifestyle.

3. Cupping Massage – Helped to loosen my muscles, detox and relax. An ancient form of alternative medicine, it’s a massage technique where cups are placed on the skin to create suction to help encourage blood flow. The treatment I tried involved silicone cups on my back using both stationary and gliding techniques. Cups were left on specific spots for several minutes in addition to the gliding method to help relive muscle tension and improve blood flow to painful areas. It’s important to note that you will experience bruising on areas where cups were placed, and the marks can last for a few days. It was also interesting to learn from the therapist that the colors of the bruises can provide some insight on how your body is doing.

4. Celery Juice – Felt more energized and focused with better digestion. Read more on my celery juice story here. 

5. Gluten & Dairy Free Diet – I must admit eliminating these two “culprits” as they’re known to many with food allergies is a challenge. I’ve continued with this diet in October to heal my gut, and will share more on the benefits in another post.

I know there are a wealth of other practices and approaches that can be added to my self-care arsenal, and I hope in the future to try other methods (like infrared sauna, float bath therapy, etc) on my road to improved wellness.

Do you make time for self-care? If so, what do you do to make YOU a priority within the hustle and bustle of life? Comment below. I want to know!