Self-care isn't selfish. It's about taking a little time for yourself and being aware of your needs. We usually tend to put others before us, but we forget that we cannot pour from an empty cup. It's important to take care of ourselves, and there a many little ways to practice self-care.

When I am happy, everyone else in the home (usually) is happy. The don't say happy wife, happy life for nothing, haha! I thought I'd share a few was that I put some basic personal needs first.

Aromatherapy

I've only recently discovered the fantastic (and real) power of Essential Oils. Admittedly, I mostly diffuse oils for the natural fragrances, but two weeks ago I was as sick as a dog. I heard about the potency of select oils for immunity support, so I combined cinnamon, clove bud, lime, eucalyptus, and rosemary essential oils into my diffuser. (Alternatively, I could have ordered the Germ Fighter blend by Plant Therapy.)

After two days of diffusing oils, I was over the worst of my illness. I would have been in bed twice as long were it not for the essential oils. I now know what oils to diffuse to keep our home as germ-free as possible.

When I need to focus on my work, I like diffusing peppermint oil, sweet orange, and lime essential oils. They instantly uplift me, and the peppermint is great for helping me focus and get my creative juices flowing! I prefer the Plant Therapy brand of essential oils because they have the lot numbers and third-party testing results right on each product's page on their website. I love companies that practice honest transparency!

Daily Workouts

I don't always want to workout, but I usually make myself. It helps to have all my workouts planned out week after week. I rely on the Sweat app for my workouts. I am doing the PWR program by Kelsey Wells and I LOVE it.

One week, due to the hectic flurry of contractors workin on our kitchen, I didn't make it to th gym. Coincidentally, I was an extremely frazzled, volatile angry person as I did not have the release of stress that exercise serves for me. Never again will I put exercise last. Its benefits are also psychological.

Self-Care Sundays

Sunday nights I try to prepare for the week ahead while also doing a mini detox of my skin. Depending on how my skin behaved the week before, I use either my Balancing Charcoal Mask or my Overnight Resurfacing Peel.

Formulated with 15 botanically-derived glycolic, lactic, and malic acids, the AHA/BHA Overnight Resurfacing Peel leaves my skin looking smoother and my pores look smaller. It's my miracle product! The Balancing Charcoal Mask's kaolin clay, activated charcoal, and salicylic acid are perfect to calm down my acne-prone skin. I like applying the Balancing Mask with a mask brush to make it last as long as possible.

Stroll with My Pups

I take Chip and Daisy on twice daily walks. As much as I always wish I could have that hour back in my day (to do more things, obviously) I have to put the brakes on and chill out. Getting some fresh air is good to clear your head. There's something to be said about taking time to smell the roses, am I right? I always make sure I apply my mineral sunscreen on my arms and legs, and my Dew Skin tinted moisturizer with 20 SPF on my face.

Tidying Up the House

Growing up, I hated Saturdays. Don't get me wrong, the weekend is great, but growing up Hispanic meant Saturdays was for cleaning #allthethings. While I haven't washed our walls with a bucket of sudsy water in years, changing the bedsheets and getting the house clean does wonders for my mental health. Go figure.

A friend introduced me to Branch Basics, a company that gets me: switching to healthy cleaning is much easier than kicking a sugar addiction. (Morning coffee, I'm looking at you). Get $10 off any purchase by clicking here. Let me know how you like their products!

Safer Beauty Essentials

Ever since I become a Beautycounter consultant, I can't get enough of learning about safer beauty and safer cleaning products. What goes on our skin goes into our bodies, and being a part of this amazing company makes me appreciative that Beautycounter has our backs as consumers. My can't live without pieces are Tint Skin, brow pencil in Dark, blush in Date, and the volumizing mascara.

What are your self-care must haves?