Your wellbeing is your superpower

We are delighted to introduce the incredibly inspirational Denise Rabor of Wow Beauty as our guest blogger to share her thoughts on well being.

I have always loved the idea of optimal well-being. It conjures up images of me being my most dynamic self – adjectives like, radiant, vibrant, energetic, early riser, clearheaded, glowing skin spring to mind. I see myself jumping out of bed at 5:30 AM and doing my meditation, my hot lemon water, aligning my chakras, doing half an hour of exercise that of course kicks me into my day ready to conquer the world by 8 AM, after having my mega smoothie packed with every nutrient known for optimum fabulousness …wow!

While I still love that vision of myself, one thing I have learnt is that well-being is a journey and that like most journeys I have to learn to take the rough with the smooth – not only that I have to be realistic about my well-being, which means accepting that will never be perfect, but that the effort is worthwhile.

Now, we all know some of the good stuff that we should be doing for ourselves but that we don’t always do. In my journey with my website Wow Beauty, I have found myself having to ‘walk my talk’ and while I am surrounded by a myriad of different wellness gurus, tips and products, what I have discovered is that

• I have to listen to my body…it is very good at letting me know when I’m not treating it right; the secret is to actually listen and take action.

• Wellbeing is personal – what works for you might not work for me and…

• I have to get my basics right because unless the basics are right none of the other stuff is going to help.

So here’s a reminder of some core ‘selfcare’ basics.

Core basic 1- Hydration

if you’re already good at hydrating your body with at least 2 L of non-dehydrating fluids per day then you can skip this bit but if you like me read on.You’d be amazed (well I certainly am) at how different you feel if you consistently ensure that you drink 2 L of water daily – I mean really –: improved energy, better skin, less brain fog… try it for a week and you’ll see.

Here are a couple of tips to help you along the way:

A: Keep a litre bottle of water at your bedside and a pretty glass, so that upon waking up you drink a couple of glasses before your morning coffee/tea. (Apparently, the body absorbs water better on an empty stomach, after being at rest all night)

B: It’s important for the body to be able to absorb water and incorporating something like Rejuvenated’s H30 Hydration sachets which contains nutrients that enhance water absorption, as well as goodies like hyaluronic acid and antioxidants.

C: Rather than buying flavoured waters try making your own infusion by adding fruits like melon, limes, lemons, strawberries or cucumbers and mint to your water.

Core basic 2 – Listen to your gut

They say that the gut is the brain of the body and that up to 70% of our immune system is controlled through it…I have to say that hearing those statistics really made me stop and think. An unhealthy gut can be the cause of issues like bloating, hormonal imbalances, fatigue, anxiety, skin conditions, brain fog and so much more… I know, Yikes! But before you take drastic action and stop eating altogether take some time to listen to your gut and explore what you might be eating or drinking that is irritating your gut. Sometimes simply taking a good pro-biotic can make a big difference.

Core basic 3- know when to take time out / go inwards

It’s World Wellness Day and there are some hard facts to consider: Stress is a killer, anxiety and depression are debilitating, so it’s vitally important to know when you need to take time out… to step away from work… to exhale… to make time for mindful moments. All of this is part of practicing self-care.

Make time for ‘Mindful Moments’– sometimes you just need to go inwards for a few minutes and practice some breathing: inhale for 7 seconds and exhale for 11. You can do this pretty much anywhere and it really does help to calm the mind and provide focus.

Try keeping a journal at your bedside– you don’t actually have to write a lot in it, but it’s a great way of jotting down what’s on your mind as you wake up and at the end of the day, helping you to analyse your feelings and possible solutions.

Create a personal daily selfcare ritual that suits your needs– whether it’s a nightly bath in aromatherapy oils or a daily meditation practice…make sure that it works for you.

Core basic 4- Get moving

This doesn’t have to be anything dramatic, it can simply be going for a daily walk or run. Whatever works for you. Great for stress release, energy boosting and mind clearing. I love my morning walks, they say that spending some time in nature every day really makes a difference to our wellbeing.

You can only be your best you if you look after your wellbeing

Hugs Denise xx

Founder of www.wowbeauty.co