Episode 272: 5 Happy-Hormone Self Care Activities To Try Right Now
Self care. It isn’t all just bubble baths and face masks. In fact, I know some women who would rather spend their time doing just about anything else.
With that said, pampering ourselves, giving ourselves moments of peace and quiet, or simply prioritizing activities that bring us joy are not just for the woo-woo, live, love, laugh crowd.
It’s actually wildly important if you want to heal.
Heal what?
You hormones, your gut, your relationship with food, your relationship with yourself.
Think about it - let’s go through each real quick:
- Hormones: When we engage in our preferred mode of self-care we release oxytocin - the unsung hero of hormone health. When oxytocin goes up, cortisol goes down, and suddenly our body is put into an environment that invites the production of important, healing hormones like progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, and DHEA.
- Gut: Cortisol - our main stress hormone - is catabolic. Meaning it breaks down our body’s tissue, making it really challenging to heal anything, let alone your gut. It would be like trying to build a house while someone keeps taking a sledgehammer to the foundation. Oxytocin signals to the body that it’s safe and that cortisol is not needed at the moment, allowing us to go from fight/flight/destruction to rest/digest/rebuild.
- Relationship with food: Overeating and unnecessary eating are usually driven by hard emotions like stress, anxiety, worry, depression, boredom. All of which can be mitigated with more self care.
- Relationship with self: Imagine having a friend but all you do is ask them to work, do chores, and help you pay your bills. You’re probably not going to have that friend very long and if they do stick around the relationship is going to be pretty contentious.
Yet we do that to ourselves all the time, only making time for work and never giving ourselves the freedom to play. When you allow rest and fun back into your day, you’re communicating a really important message of love to your subconscious. You’re saying, “you matter” and “I’m here for you.”
Ok so now we know the importance of self care, but what does that actually look like if it isn’t bubble baths and face masks? Here are some of my top 5 favorites these days:
1. Long walks.
Walking might be the most underrated activity for both mental and physical health. It doesn’t matter how stressful my day is, if I take a walk I feel clearer, calmer, and more ready to face any challenges that are coming up.
A large meta-analysis showed adults who did just 75 minutes of brisk walking per week had an 18% lower risk of depression.
Bonus tip: look up. Our tendency is to look down at the floor but the state of our body influences the state of our mind, and while looking down signals low mood and closed-offness, looking up signals joy and lightness.
2. Piano (or your flow activity of choice).
When I started piano a year ago I just thought I was learning a cool instrument. I had no idea how much of a quick fix it would be for stress.
Maybe piano isn’t your thing, but find an activity that combines a little bit of focus and mental acuity (but not so much that it stresses you out) with fun and creativity. This puts you into a ‘flow state’ that takes you out of past rumination or future anxiety and it a calm and peaceful present.
3. Self-pleasure.
I debated including this because I know this is a bit of a taboo topic, but I think it’s one we need to get more open and comfortable with. The health benefits of orgasms are staggering. Seriously, if you put it all into a pill people would pay thousands for it:
Better sleep, stronger immunity, boosted fertility, better mood, clearer skin, minimize PMS, longevity, pain relief, stress relief, pelvic floor health, circulation, the list goes on and on.
4. Evening routine: reading and meditating.
I know this is more of a roll-your-eyes-typical-self-care ritual. But you don’t have to do these exact activities to reap the benefits. Finding a calming practice to do before bed that doesn’t involve a screen is a game changer whether you want more deep, uninterrupted sleep, a calmer disposition for your friends and family, or more balanced hormones (less light in the evening = a better circadian rhythm = happier hormones = fewer symptoms like fatigue, weight problems, and metabolic conditions).
Studies have shown just 30 minutes of light exposure before bed is equivalent to drinking half a cup of coffee. And I can tell you from experience I notice a big difference. If I succumb to scrolling on my phone, I could stay wide awake for hours. But if I pull out a book around bedtime, I’m reading the same sentence 5 times and my eyes are drifting closed within 10-15 minutes.
5. Head spa.
This one is definitely a bit extra and we do need more consistent self care than this, but I had to include it because I just went last week and oh. my. god.
The whole experience was just so much more than I expected.
I’d wanted to go to a head spa for months, but I heard that because it got popular so fast, a lot of spots were popping up with very little training or knowledge on scalp health. So a lot of companies were using really harsh, stripping, toxic chemicals and I was not here for it.
Luckily my friend connected me with the owner at Urban Nail Bar where they use natural, organic ingredients that my hair loved.
There was a detoxifying foot soak, head/shoulder/face/arm massage, gua sha, water halo (I wish I could swap my shower head for this), and a steam hydration therapy.
Highly recommend.
Ok, now it’s your turn. Pick one self-care activity (it could be one listed or one you just came up with), snap a pic or video, post it to Instagram stories, and tag me at @follow.your.gut.nutrition so I can see your self care in action and cheer you on!
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