Over the last year, I have gotten way more selfish about taking care of myself and really putting myself first…and let me tell ya…not only am I loving it, but I honestly wish more people I knew would do it. I had a panic attack a year ago (you can read about that here) due to not taking care of myself and it was a eye opener to say the least.

I was actively promoting that people SHOULD take care of themselves while I was working until 1-2am, getting up at 6:00am, drinking on my nights off to try to shut out how much I hated my job as a server, working out on my 6th day of averaging 5 hours of sleep and downing an energy drink every day.

Looking back on those 4 months in a way I feel like I was doing something called “surging” – that’s where you go really hard in order to achieve a goal or create a better outcome – which is great! I think more people should surge more often so that they can really see what it means to focus on something for longer than a couple days and understand that they can get so much done with FOCUS! BUT. I wasn’t just surging on one thing with one main focus…I was surging on my night job + school + training + working out + my blog + etc. You get it.

But anyway – since then I’ve learned that unless you seriously put yourself first – you will go into a downward spiral and no one really knows where it can lead or when or if you’ll be able to pull yourself out of it.

So I wanted to share with you guys everything from my routine and my morning vitamins to my pillows and my face mists that allow me to take care of myself from the inside out. Let’s get into it.

VITAMINS / MINERALS / & TEAS

THAT MAKE ME FEEL BETTER

Let’s start with the beginning of my day. We can skip the whole scene of me taking my dog out with no pants on and go right to the kitchen. I get my milk frother and tea kettle ready with milk and water to start up my Matcha Green Tea Latte. (This is the matcha I use).

Matcha has been such a nice change of pace for me in the morning. It’s packed with chlorophyll, vitamins and antioxidants and it enhances mood while calming the mind and body. #selfcareapproved.

Next I am FINALLY in a real routine of taking my vitamins – phew – only took like 900 years. I chew on two Vitamin C + Manuka Honey chewable pills and then I throw back 1 Women’s Daily Vitamin plus these 2 probiotics. (Find all 3 of these products here).

Manuka Honey is rich in phenolic acids which are antioxidant compounds, Vitamin C contains antioxidants that can help protect cells from radical damage AND Vitamin C helps support a healthy immune system. Remember that the immune system is the body’s first line of defense so you know, it’s important.

My Women’s Daily Vitamin has over 50 vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and herbs that are tailored for women to help during times of stress, maintain energy and vitality. #selfcareapproved.

The only other tea I should mention here is my post lunch detox tea. I love this detox tea because it actually tastes bomb, it’s gentle yet effective and makes me feel like I am staying on top of my bloat + digestion.

My detox tea contains Red Rooibos to assist with age-fighting antioxidants and fat-fighting compounds, Lemongrass to detox the digestive tract, and Rose to calm the adrenal system. #selfcareapproved.

HOW I TAKE CARE OF MY SKIN

MY CURRENT GO TO PRODUCTS

I’m really trying to keep all of these categories as concise as possible so I’m only going to name the things that are an absolute MUST when it comes to taking care of my skin.

1. GOLDFADDEN MD NATURAL CLEANSER ♥ I use this every night to take off all the make up, dirt, and sweat from throughout the day and it works really well, smells great, and never makes my skin feel dry.

2. GOLDFADDEN MD DOCTORS SCRUB ♥ I use this twice a week to exfoliate and even got my boyfriend hooked on it who won’t let me put ANYTHING on his face except witch hazel so, that say’s a lot.

3. DR. KAYS VITAMIN C SERUM, DEEP BLUE HYDRATION, TRIPLE SHOT SERUM, and EYE SERUM ♥ These products keep my face SO hydrated it is actually insane. Any time I get a facial the esthetician will actually tell me that it’s a lot easier to do a deep exfoliation of my face because it’s so hydrated AND a hydrated face helps prevent wrinkles and fine lines.

4. KERSTIN FLORIAN REHYDRATING SPRAY ♥ The orange blossom in this spray is like…addicting though. I am OBSESSED with this. I put it on 3-4 times a day, need to buy more asap!

5. HAMMAM SCRUBBING GLOVE ♥ Okay listen up because if this is you, then you need to get this glove. I used to always get little bumps on the back of my thighs that sometimes even looked like acne…? That happen to any of you? And I could never seem to have just nice smooth legs – probably because I’m always in workout clothes and sweating and just being glam. So I finally ordered one of these body exfoliating gloves and after like a week of using it – my bumps we’re GONE! My legs look supa smooth now.

6. IT COSMETICS CC CREAM ♥ This now acts as my real life filter + sun block protection. It’s AMAZING. Normally CC creams are super watery but this one is creamy but also moisturizing and FULL coverage. It’s all I wear now.

Also check out my most recent YouTube Video with how I created my new night time routine to be allll about detoxing with specific products.

#selfcareapproved

SETTING THE VIBE

IF THE VIBES OFF, I’M OFF

I’m allllll about a mutha fu*kin vibbbbbe thoughhh. If me and Est walk into a restaurant and the vibe/energy is off ie: fluorescent lighting, weird seating, weird pace, bad decor, I’m out. I get like physically uncomfortable in un-vibey places. So my home HAS to be vibing in every single room in order for me to feel like I am deflecting negativity and putting myself in the best mood possible. If Est so much as tries to hug me for too long when the house feels cluttered I get squirmish haha #virgoproblems.

Here’s what I do to make my house FULL of positive vibes and how I create a comfortable work space.

1. Open all of the windows. Even in the rooms that I’m not in.

2. Have plants everywhere. Literally in the living room, kitchen, bathroom and my bedroom there are plants. Plants bring LIFE into your space and positive energy and I. LOVE. THEM.

3. Light candles all day. All night. They make my house feel fresh and depending on what scent you get they can trigger different moods. You can get a lavender candle to promote calmness or an orange candle to bring in the energy.

4. Make my bed.

5. Keep positive messages in sight. I have a message written on the mirror in my bathroom that says “Have faith, Sleep well, Listen to good music, and see the funny side of life”, then I have the top 5 regrets of the dying from the book “The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying” by Bronnie Ware. SUCH a good book – highly recommend. It’s a true story written by a nurse who primarily worked with the elderly and she just beautifully pieces together story after story of her conversations with people who we’re on their last days and what they admitted their regrets were in life. The crazy thing was that most of everyone that she spoke to fell into one of these 5 regrets.

#selfcareapproved

HOW I TAKE CARE OF MY MIND

APPS / EXERCISES / & HEALTHY CHOICES

I’ve always been very aware that when you focus on positive things, you really manage to see the positive vibes happening all around you. But it wasn’t until my panic attack when I realized that even though you have all the intentions in the world of being a happy and positive person, that pushing yourself too much and putting yourself last too often, can still bring in negativity.

SO, to stay positive and take care of myself, I make sure to meditate, exercise, journal, and limit my drinking.

Meditation:

I use an app called CALM and I loooooove it. It’s a guy with an accent and the meditations are only 10 minutes a day so it’s easy for me to stay consistent. It really has taught me to be more aware of the current moment and has allowed me to realize how often we are either thinking about the past or thinking about the future. Let’s be present peoplllllleee!

Exercising:

Let me share something I learned with you guys. Ladies, if you are high strung or constantly stressed, consider taking a small break from your crazy non stop HIIT classes, and try a gym day or a walk. These classes are causing our stress to go UP and for most of us, that means it’s hitting the ceiling. We need our stress to come down if we want a healthy mindset and weight loss. Walking and weight training allow that to happen. If I miss even 2 days of exercise I notice that my mind gets messy and my mood SUCKS, so getting to the gym is so much more about my mindset for me than it is my looks.

Journaling:

I’ve been journaling since 2006 and it’s honestly THERAPY for me. This is the kind of thing that I can easily forget to make time for but when I do – I start to notice that my head feels full of stuff and my emotions feel like they’re all over the place.

#selfcareapproved.

FOODS THAT GIVE ME ENERGY

ALLOW ME TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF

We don’t have to dive in too deep here. Obviously a diet high in vegetables and protein and low in overly processed foods is going to be your best bet for eating for fuel BUT these are a couple snacks that I’m loving right now that don’t slow me down.

1. Daily Harvest ♥ If you have never tried Daily Harvest – you are. missing. out! You can get 3 free cups right now if you’re wanting to try it by using my code CHELSEY on their site! I love the smoothies the most because they’re so easy to grab, blend and go. I prefer the ones with cold brew OR I find one that would taste good with cold brew and just add it myself. EN-ER-GYYY!

2. Owyn Protein Shakes ♥ SO BOMB. I always see these now at GNC, random health food stores and gyms.

3. ONE Protein Bars ♥ Birthday Cake flavor and the Almond one are my faves.

4. Power Crunch Bars ♥ Literally the best thing since mac n cheese. Get the vanilla, the raspberry, or either one of the peanut butter options. SUH good.

#selfcareapproved.

I think that covers most of my bases for what I honestly use on a day to day basis. Remember this is important. It really is because when we don’t take care of ourselves our minds become negative, our self talk becomes negative, our outlook sucks and our drive and sense of self worth starts to go to a dark place.

If I’m being totally transparent, I just lost my cousin due to suicide and have heard of 2 others who took their own lives this month. Really talking about how to get your mind RIGHT is SO important so I want to help any way that I can and I feel like just giving some tips on what works for me is the best thing I can do.

If you have any other tips please leave them below!!

xx