This post was developed in partnership with Tom’s of Maine. All opinions are my own.

It’s a new year, and I know it sounds so cliche, but it’s a great time to start fresh, make some resolutions and work on improving certain areas of your life. This year, I will be working more on self-care. As a stay-at-home Mom to two toddlers, age 3.5 and almost 2, self-care is something I have let slide for quite a while now. When you’re wrapped up in all of the day-to-day activities of your kids, it can be hard to find the time or energy to take care of yourself too, but it’s so important. If you’re like me, you probably expend all of your energy taking care of everyone else, and just feel completely zapped by the end of the day. There are a few things you can do for yourself throughout the day, however, that will greatly improve how you feel.

1. Drink More Water – Drinking water is something I struggle with, but when I do make an effort to drink more, I feel so much better. I have more energy, my skin looks better, and I don’t have hunger cravings. Buying yourself a nice water bottle is a great way to drink more water throughout the day. If I try to just drink water from a cup, my kids always end up stealing it, or spilling it all over the place, then I don’t actually drink it. I have found that a spill-proof water bottle is an easy way for me to make sure I get enough water in. I also like that I can take it with me while I’m on the go.
2. Clean Your Bedroom – I have to be honest and say my bedroom is a mess quite often. We live in a small, 960 square foot house, and my bedroom seems to be the “collection” room of the house. All the odds and ends wind up there and it completely takes over my room. I have noticed when I take the time to clean my bedroom by putting laundry away, removing items that don’t belong there, making my bed, etc., I feel much more relaxed and sleep better at night.
3. Make a To-Do List – When I’m disorganized, I feel stressed out and frazzled. I have all of these thoughts and ideas swimming around in my head and it feels completely overwhelming. Making a to-do list helps clear my mind, and being able to cross items off my list as I get them done is so incredibly rewarding.
4. Do Something You Enjoy – Every day, you should set aside at least a few minutes for yourself and do something you enjoy. Go for a walk outside, enjoy a cup of tea while watching a favorite movie, do a crossword puzzle, read a book. I know it’s tempting to clean the house or continue to do things for other people when you have a free moment of time while the kids are napping or playing good without you, but you’ll feel so much better if you use some of that time to do something that makes you feel happy.
5. Dance – Even though I do not dance well at all, it has become a great stress reliever for me. Not only is it great exercise, but listening to your favorite music and being active will greatly improve your energy and mood. I try to set aside at least 20 minutes a day to dance, and I get the kids involved too!
6. Eat Healthier Foods – Making healthy food choices will also improve your mood and energy. Now is a great time to get rid of all the junk food in your house and load up with lots of fresh fruit and veggies. Instead of reaching for a bag of potato chips, grab a few nuts like almonds or pecans.
7. Stretch – When I’m busy taking care of the kids all day, chasing them around, getting up and down from my seat, picking them up, picking up all of their toys over and over again, my body gets pretty tired and achy. Taking a few minutes out of the day to stretch my body out helps me to feel so much better. I hate that tense, tight feeling I often get in my back, and stretching really helps to relieve that. There are plenty of great yoga books and videos available if you are unsure of how to start.
8. Meal Plan – When I go through a week not having any idea what I am going to make for breakfast, lunch or dinner, I feel overwhelmed, and I often end up wasting food because I forget I have it and it goes bad, or I just don’t plan well for the week. Making a meal plan at the beginning of the week really helps to save time, relieve stress and reduce food waste. I love being able to tell my husband exactly what we’ll be having for dinner when he asks, instead of scrambling around trying to put odds and ends together at the last minute. This also diminishes that urge to just order take out because you can’t figure out what to have for dinner!
9. Fix a Small Annoyance that Has Been Bothering You – Small annoyances, we all have them. Whether it’s getting a stain out of your favorite shirt, changing a light bulb that has been burnt out for a while, cleaning up a messy spill in the fridge, etc., setting aside a few moments to finally take care of that nagging problem will greatly improve your mood! When you get that problem off your mind, you’ll be able to better focus on the more important things.
10. Make the Switch to Natural Products – Self-care really starts with what we put in and on our bodies. Tom’s of Maine natural deodorant contains no aluminum, artificial fragrances or preservatives and no petrochemicals, and offers clinically proven, 24-hour odor protection using odor-fighting hops, the mineral zinc and only natural fragrances.

I have been using Tom’s of Maine natural deodorant for several months now, and I love knowing that I am doing                 something good for myself when I use it. There are several varieties available to choose from, including unscented, lavender, powder, tea tree, apricot and lemongrass.

It’s a new year, and a great time to make the switch to a natural deodorant!

Tom’s of Maine also has fully recyclable packaging through local municipalities or the TerraCycle Tom’s of Maine Natural Care Brigade. I think it’s so great that they not only offer natural products, but packaging that can be easily recycled too. If that wasn’t enough, they also give 10% of their profits back to helping people and the planet!

A Note About Natural Products:

When trying a natural personal care product for the first time it’s important to give your body time to adjust. If your body is used to a conventional product, you might need a little time to adjust to a natural formula free of chemicals and artificial ingredients. Trying the deodorant for at least 3-7 days, including testing out different scents (or unscented), can help determine the best fit for your body’s unique chemistry.

What are your favorite self-care tips?

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