This is a great opportunity that many of us resonate with and embrace. However, some major industries see this shift as an opportunity to market products that promise to rejuvenate and restore energy as well as bring more ease and joy into your life. As a small business owner focusing on spirituality and self-study myself, I also promote the benefits of self-care and encourage others to try some of the modalities that work for me. But, let’s take a deep breath and remember that we, ourselves, know what’s best for us, and we get to decide how to take care of ourselves in a way that serves us in all areas– including financially. While we can absolutely spend money on taking care of ourselves, we don’t have to. Instead, we can follow our intuition, and it will lead us to exactly what it is we need to restore our own energy and bring more ease and joy into our own lives.

Along the journey of learning to follow my intuition, I have been guided to self-care activities that are accessible to me at any given moment without the need for money or another person. I like to think of these as intuitive tools that I keep in my self-care tool belt. If I am faced with a challenge at work or a stressful situation at home, I can see that as an opportunity to get present and do the work to heal whatever is causing my suffering.

Here are a few of my in-the-moment self-care tools

Arriving in the present moment – I start by taking at least three deep breaths, really focusing on both the inhale and the exhale. Once I’ve begun to slow down my mind, I start noticing my immediate surroundings. I feel my feet in my shoes on the ground. I feel my hands touching each other placed on my belly. I feel the back of my head pressing against my headrest. Finally, after I ground myself in my body, I am able to focus on radiating light and love from within me. I imagine a light beaming in the center of my body then slowly getting brighter and brighter until light is illuminating from me.

Writing it down – When my mind starts to feel cluttered or I don’t know what I should do next, I reach for my journal. If my journal isn’t nearby, any old piece of paper will do. If words don’t come automatically, then I start writing down what I am experiencing around me or how I am feeling. If words still aren’t coming, I write a statement like “I am writing as self-care” over and over again until words start to flow. Eventually, my intuition takes over, and I am writing exactly what I need to declutter my mind or find clarity.

Creating an affirmation – Sometimes, I experience stress or anxiety because of a limiting belief or mindset I have. For example, I may be stressed at work because I never get my to-do list completed. This could be coming from a mindset that I have to accomplish a certain amount to be considered productive that day. Truth is, productivity is not what defines me. So, once I realize I am stressing about work, I can change the thought in my mind from “I have so much to do” to “I am enough”. The more I repeat this to myself and replace it as a new thought in my head, the more I start to believe it. I post these on my mirror, by my bed, or on my desk, and I practice them until they feel normal and natural.

Now, just because these tools work for me does not mean that they will work for you. It may be a great place to start, but I am willing to bet that your intuition has shown you what works best for you already. For example, if your mind is clear when you walk your dog or if you feel relaxed when cooking dinner for yourself or your family, that is your intuition showing you that these are self-care tools that you can lean into. Here is a list of some of the intuitive self-care activities that work for my friends and family:

• Painting their nails
• Listening to their favorite song or podcast
• Gardening or being with nature
• Practicing their skin care routines
• Dancing
• Creating art or music

Once you’ve identified your intuitive self-care activities, the trick is to get intentional about them. Intentionality is key to unlocking the benefits of practicing self-care; it’s what develops the self-love we yearn for. Bring purpose into your self-care rituals by becoming aware of yourself and your surroundings as you do them. The energy that you are looking for, the ease and the joy, will start flowing because you will realize that you had it within you all along. You hold the power to care for and love yourself.