I believe that health is wealth and am willing to try most wellness-related things. However, being a busy mum means that I am very selective with what I actually end up taking up as a habit or practice. I won't add it into my routine unless I actually love it and can see benefits. I have spoken about this before but in order for me to be the best wife/mum/friend, I need to be able to fill my cup to pour into others. I have spoken about my other daily wellness practices and what I do to fill my cup and how you can fill yours. You can read about that here. Now, onto the three new practices that I have been loving...
1. Ice rolling my face
I always wanted to be that girl who used a jade roller or did Gua Sha on her face every day, but truthfully I just never really saw a big difference in puffiness. But let me tell you, this ice roller is a game changer. I do this first thing in the morning to really wake me up because it's ice cold. It's refreshing, it's tightening, it's de-puffing and it also gets the serum into my skin without using my fingers. I find when I use my fingers, the serum absorbs into my fingers but using the roller, all of the product stays on my face. I use this ice roller and this face oil, but you can get the bundle (I think it's still on sale). I am a busy mum which means I am very selective with how I spend my time in the mornings so for me to add this in every single day means I really love it.
2. Cold showers
I used to do this every morning a few years back and loved how it made me feel! I would do it after my morning workout, which is what I have started to do again. So what I do is finish my workout and then I will have my normal hot shower to open my pores and get completely clean (you want to wash all the sweat off before having a cold shower). Then, I turn the hot completely off and stand in the cold shower for 60 seconds. I want to be able to take this to 1.5 minutes. Once you get out, it seriously feels like you have just had a shot of coffee. You have adrenaline and a sense of achievement. Of course it's not super comfortable but it's honestly addictive. It's great for your metabolism because you are cold and then you need your body to work in order to warm you back up. It's similar to cold plunging/ice baths. To get through it, I either have a podcast or music playing in the bathroom and practice my Wim Hof breathing. More on that in next point.
3. Breath work
Okay, I'll be honest: I was sceptical when it came to breathing techniques and breath work. I didn't actually think that I would feel so relaxed and refreshed after just a 10 minute video on YouTube. It's a free YouTube video (linked here) and let me just say, there's a reason it has over 10 million views. I have been doing this breath work either in the mornings before I start work or in the middle of the day when Luca is napping and I need a little pick-me-up when I am feeling the midday slump. Give it a go, it's actually crazy how much breathing can affect your entire mood.