Hi Guys!

Well, here we are, another step closer to winter and cuddly sweater season – in my part of the world anyway.

Last Friday was the first day of fall in the northern hemisphere and for my friends in AU, New Zealand, South America and Southern Africa it was the first day of spring!

So, it seems everyone around me is catching this killer flu bug. Yeah, me too. Now I RARELY get sick but I was seriously down for the count for several days.

I live a super healthy lifestyle so all I can think of is it must have been a post-convention break down. It was such a crazy time getting ready for Convention and the energy there … whoa! So my body just needed to remind me to rest.

And rest, I did.

But the good news is, "down for the count" means something different to me these days than it used to.

"Down for the count" means I’m kind of in a crappy mood.

"Down for the count" means I’m tired.

"Down for the count" means I don’t feel like working out.

“Down for the count means I’m taking everything a bit slower and going to bed a lot earlier and yep, doing a lot less work.

Down for the count does NOT mean I’m stuck in bed for a week like I used to be in the old days - pre-proactive lifestyle changes (code for essential oils, of course).

I have to say I am super grateful I have the flexibility to work from home, and last week, to work in my jimmies when I wanted to! I took rest breaks and even got in a nap or two.

You know something else? It felt really good to allow my fam nurture me. Madeline brought me my oils and Wes gave me his version of an aromatouch session. Nice….

If you’re a mom you get that we are usually the ones doing the nurturing. Why do we wait until we get sick to allow others to care for us in the same way? Good question.

Self-care is essential. For me that means eating a vegan diet, doing yoga and exercise and using my luscious oils. And it’s not just about our bodies. Mental and emotional self-care is important too. I feed my mind and express my feelings so I don’t repress them.

What does self-care mean to you?

On Wednesday I’ll share a video about emotional self-care. Is it really that important? Yes! Our emotional wellbeing should head the list. Why? Because it dictates everything we do.

It’s easy to neglect our emotions but it’s super important to manage before things intensify and then Boom! We implode. Not good.

Catch my video on Wednesday and then stick around. On Friday, I’ll share an essential oils blend you can use for emotional balance.

XO,

Hayley